How Germany’s Stuttgarter Zeitung nearly doubled direct traffic in recent months
By Carsten Groß
Stuttgarter Zeitung
For us as a publishing company, it has become not just a success indicator, but a question of survival.
Only through our own channels can we reliably reach our customers, build stable relationships, and distribute journalistic content independently.
We didn’t start from a comfortable market position. Our direct traffic was below industry average, and customer loyalty was weak.
Five levers for ‘measurable success’
Over the past 18 months, we have implemented a targeted set of measures to significantly increase the share of direct traffic — with measurable success.
At the heart of our approach has been a focus on the real lives of our audiences. These five levers have proven especially effective for us:
1- Focus on our core audiences
We sharpened our journalistic strategy and focused consistently on local communities and thematic target groups — such as people working in the automotive industry or fans of VfB Stuttgart.
2- Empowering our teams
With the help of a coaching team, we trained and supported our editorial departments in understanding and engaging their audiences more directly. We tested new formats, adapted workflows, shortened feedback cycles, and promoted data-driven decision-making.
3- Building a digital ecosystem around our audiences
For our most important audiences, we created dedicated newsletters, tailored social media channels, and new content formats — from classic articles to short videos designed to match user preferences.
4- Expanding our website offerings
We introduced targeted engagement features and set new editorial priorities — including an exclusive subscriber-only section with curated, topic-specific content. The goal: significantly increase dwell time and interaction rates.
5- Strengthening breaking news coverage
We keep our website up to date. Major developments are covered quickly and reliably. We actively distribute current topics through our own channels and show our users that we provide trustworthy, timely information — even outside of algorithm-driven platforms.
AI as a tool, not a replacement
We use artificial intelligence selectively to automate processes and produce content more efficiently. However, the creative spark always comes from humans — as does the final quality assurance.
The result
Within just a few months, we nearly doubled our direct traffic. The path we’ve taken is working – and so far, we see no ceiling for growth.
The key to this success was close collaboration across all departments: editorial, product, marketing, reader revenue, data, and tech.
Carsten Groß is the Geschäftsführer (Managing Director) of Stuttgarter Zeitung, the daily news publisher for Stuttgart, Germany.
This post originally appeared on LinkedIn, and it has been republished here with permission.
Main image by stux, via Pixabay
