The Weekly Bulletin | March 25, 2025

Catch up on your members' content, check out the community buzz, and browse through job opportunities

Author

Vahe Arabian
March 25, 2025

Hi SODP community,

Let’s recap on what’s been happening, the new content, industry updates, tips, and more.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Despite recent controversies, WordPress remains a steadfast leader, powering 43.4% of all websites and holding a 61.7% share of the CMS market in 2025.

At the first session of the SODP WP Publisher Success Week 2025, I had the pleasure of discussing the future of WordPress alongside Raelene Morey, publisher of The Repository. Our goal was to address publishers' concerns about WordPress's stability amidst recent industry disputes.

In 2024, the WordPress community faced turbulence due to legal conflicts between major hosting providers Automattic and WP Engine. Despite these challenges, WordPress's core metrics have remained robust.

While internal disputes have caused some instability among developers, the broader user base remains largely unaffected. Brand sentiment has held steady at 80% over the past three years, indicating sustained trust and satisfaction within the community.

Key Features Shaping WordPress in 2025

To maximise the benefits of WordPress, publishers should focus on the following developments:

  • Gutenberg Block Editor: Revolutionises content creation with drag-and-drop blocks, eliminating coding needs while streamlining workflows.

  • Hybrid CMS Models: Merges headless architecture’s speed with WordPress’s SEO/plugin ecosystem for flexible, efficient publishing.

  • Newspack: Automattic/Google-backed platform equips publishers with integrated revenue, audience, and content tools for scalable monetisation.

Looking ahead, WordPress's development will emphasise three primary phases:

  • Collaboration: Enhancing collaborative features within the Gutenberg editor to improve team workflows.

  • Translation: Focusing on multilingual capabilities to support global publishers.

  • Migration: Simplifying the transition process for publishers moving to WordPress from other platforms.

These initiatives aim to solidify WordPress's position as a versatile and user-centric platform, catering to the evolving needs of publishers worldwide.

Here are the main takeaways:

  1. WordPress maintains a dominant position in the CMS market, powering a significant portion of the web.

  2. The Gutenberg editor offers a user-friendly, code-free content creation experience.

  3. Hybrid CMS models provide a balanced approach, combining performance with functionality.

  4. Platforms like Newspack offer tailored solutions for revenue generation and audience engagement.

Despite recent challenges, WordPress continues to demonstrate resilience and adaptability. By embracing new features and strategic approaches, publishers can harness the full potential of WordPress to meet today's demands.

SODP POSTS

13 Best Media Monitoring Tools in 2025

Media monitoring is a vital part of any digital publisher’s path to success. It is necessary to hear stories as they happen, track the competition and remain alert to any oncoming crises — and the best media monitoring software and news monitoring tools automate all of this.

While the practice of media monitoring has existed for more than a century, the introduction of internet news and online social networks has seen the practice undergo radical new shifts in innovation. This is where media monitoring tools enter, leveraging AI technology to gain insight into trends and public opinion across billions of discussions on a daily basis.

These tools are also becoming ever more popular, with the expected global market share to more than triple from $3.96 billion in 2022 to $11.54 billion by 2029. As digital media sees its popularity increase over traditional media, media monitoring software options have also climbed.

But with so many choices out there, how do publishers ensure they choose the best one for their company? To help alleviate decision paralysis, we’ve drawn together a list of the 18 best media monitoring tools.

JOB BOARD

➡️ IE Media, Inc. is looking for an audience development manager who will spearhead its audience development initiatives, ensuring a cohesive content strategy and driving its marketing efforts across all digital platforms. (UK). SEE MORE

➡️COURIER  is seeking a newsletter editor who will take the lead on their Houston regional newsroom’s flagship email product—ensuring it delivers an approachable blend of local news, political coverage, and lifestyle stories (Texas). SEE MORE

COMMUNITY BUZZ

Industry News

➡️ Google’s March 2025 Core Update, announced on March 13th and expected to complete its rollout this week, is creating turbulence in search results according to multiple industry tracking tools. Data from Local SEO Guide and SISTRIX indicate this may be a highly impactful update. READ MORE

➡️Freelance writers who worked with digital media companies like IAC-owned Dotdash Meredith and Forbes are feeling the pain as outlets take extreme measures to prevent Google from squeezing their traffic. Google began cracking down last year on third-party material provided to publishers that it considered spammy and designed to take advantage of reputable outlets' search authority. READ MORE 

Social Media Discussions

➡️ Gor L. Karapetyan on LinkedIn:

Research Keywords Before Writing Code.

Most startups fail before they start.

Why?

They build before checking demand.

Before writing a single line of code:

• Is anyone searching for this? No searches = no market.

➜ Use Google Keyword Planner (free) to check search volume.

• Are you speaking their language? Wrong words = missed customers.

➜ Use Answer the Public to find real search queries.

These are the highlights for the last week.

Until next!

Vahe Arabian and the editorial team at SODP