When Audience Growth Director Sofia Delgado joined Metro.co.uk (part of DMG Media) two and a half years ago, the publisher was facing a massive 50-60% “roller-coaster” drop in traffic, primarily due to Facebook’s algorithm changes and Google’s core updates. 

“But every time we told the newsroom, ‘Hey, you should try [a new approach], we think it’s going to get us the pageviews,’ the editors would say, ‘Bugger off, we’re too stretched!’ That’s when we realized something’s got to give. Let’s figure out what we need to stop doing and what we need to do more of.”

That’s Sofia speaking at WordPress VIP’s recent Innovation Showcase in London during her featured presentation, Less Is More: Rethinking Content Strategy in Media. Hers was one of several sessions from WordPress VIP customers and partners—including News UK, Capgemini, and 10up—“big thinkers doing big things with WordPress and WordPress VIP.”

Metro’s audience and article reset

The traffic plummet was a wake-up call for Metro. 

Sofia says the old way of making a lot of content, often quickly and without much depth, was no longer working. It was doing “what the algorithms wanted,” not what the audience wanted. “For example, our entertainment desk wrote an astounding nine to 10 articles per person daily, but about 50% of this content wasn’t getting read. This was a clear sign that we needed to shift our approach.”

“We started thinking, ‘If that’s not really what people want, what do they want?’”

Metro began a deep analysis to better understand its readership, looking for that “golden audience,” as Sofia calls it. From the data, they knew that Metro, even as a general newspaper, needed to focus on popular verticals—like entertainment, gaming, and TV soaps—each serving a unique audience. 

“Ultimately, it was about, ‘Let’s make better content that people engage with longer, that would make them come back for more [because] they want to hear what you have to say next.’”

—Sofia Delgado, Audience Growth Director, Metro.co.uk

Quality over quantity rules

Metro started by trimming the article count and varying the story length. In the entertainment vertical, they reduced the number of articles by a staggering 45%. Yet, surprisingly, that led to a 35% increase in overall traffic.

“The average pageviews per story quadrupled compared to the previous year.”

—Sofia Delgado, Audience Growth Director, Metro.co.uk

The light bulb went off for Metro: it’s not about producing more content but better content. 

Focusing on user needs also drove the newfound success. “We introduced a more balanced approach,” says Sofia, “where some stories could be quick and others required more in-depth work. This shift allowed us to create more engaging and valuable content for our audience.”

Metro also emphasized the importance of consistency in its content. “By regularly producing high-quality content in specific areas, we build authority and trust,” Sofia says, “encouraging readers to return.”

This strategy has been a crucial first step in growing Metro’s direct traffic and leveraging platforms like Reddit and Apple News Discover. “We’re now more focused on increasing the number of pageviews per session,” Sofia says, “ensuring readers stay longer and engage more deeply with our content.”

Some WordPress VIP customers do that by looking at Parse.ly’s recirculation rate metric, which shows which pieces of content do the best job keeping users engaged. Recirculation rate is an additional way to measure loyalty, because it shows which stories keep people clicking around and reading more on your site.

Changing and influencing the culture at Metro

Metro’s “less is more” shift was a cultural change, but communication with staff was key. “We had to take a step back and give everyone in the newsroom permission to stop and think,” says Sofia.

Metro held multiple meetings and discussions to ensure that everyone across the newsroom understood the new approach’s goals and benefits. They also identified key individuals who were open to change and could influence others as advocates for the new strategy, creating a ripple effect of positive change throughout the organization. 

“Communication is at the core of any change. Keep repeating your North Star to align your teams. Identify your change-makers and align them first to make sure everyone isn’t trying to change everyone in different directions.”

—Sofia Delgado, Audience Growth Director, Metro.co.uk

“We reassured editors and journalists that their skills were still valuable—the rules had simply changed,” says Sofia. “By focusing on better content and providing support, we gained their trust and buy-in, leading to a more prosperous and sustainable approach to digital growth.” 

Many had been initially resistant to producing fewer articles, “fearing that it would impact their productivity and the overall reach of the publication,” Sofia says. “We reassured them that the goal was to enhance the quality and engagement of their content. We gained their trust and support by acknowledging their expertise and showing how the new approach could lead to greater success.”

Securing buy-in going forward

Metro established a culture of continuous feedback to ensure their new newsroom strategy remains dynamic and responsive. Sofia notes this fosters collaboration and openness, making it easier for everyone to adapt and contribute to change. 

“We regularly communicate with our teams about what’s working and what needs improvement,” she Sofia. For Sofia, the key takeaway is that effective communication is not just a tool for change—it’s the foundation upon which successful transformation is built.

WordPress VIP Innovation Showcase on-demand

Watch Metro’s presentation Less Is More: Rethinking Content Strategy in Media, featuring Audience Director Sofia Delgado in conversation with The Rebooting Founder Brian Morrissey, at the recent WordPress VIP Innovation Showcase in London.

Then, dive into these other featured presentations from WordPress VIP customers and partners:

• Raising the Bar: Building a Global Centre of Excellence for WordPress with News UK Director of Content Systems Umer Ehsan. Hear how News UK helped transition iconic media brands The Times and The Sunday Times to a digital-first model with WordPress.
• Navigating Governance in Digital Transformation with Capgemini Associate Director Tamas Lugosi. Hear how Capgemini went from a fragmented, 100+ website portfolio to a centralized, secure, and flexible platform with WordPress VIP.
• The Innovation Shortcut:  The Value of User Research with 10up Lead Product Manager Jeremy Pack and VP of Client Strategy Oona Väisänen. Hear how data and user research positively impact content strategy and product development, “solving the right problem v. solving the problem right.”