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Facebook Algorithm Update Pushes Clickbait Posts Further Down Feeds

Clickbait
Facebook has announced another update to its News Feed algorithm that could push clickbait posts even further down the feed.

The update comes after Facebook users said they liked seeing authentic, genuine posts on the social network, rather than clickbait posts and spam.

Facebook explained: “We’ve heard from people that they specifically want to see fewer stories with clickbait headlines or link titles.

“These are headlines that intentionally leave out crucial information, or mislead people, forcing people to click to find out the answer.

“To address this feedback from our community, we’re making an update to News Feed ranking to further reduce clickbait headlines in the coming weeks.

“With this update, people will see fewer clickbait stories and more of the stories they want to see higher up in their feeds.”

The update will see a change to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm that will now filter posts on the basis of how headlines are written.

If a headline withholds information required to understand what the article is about, or exaggerates to the point of misleading readers, then the social network will filter the article to appear lower down in feeds.

From here, the system will recognise commonly-used phrases to better determine what posts are clickbait.

And if a website or page continues to post content that includes either of these things, its posts will always be shown further down the News Feed.

Facebook said: “We anticipate that most Pages won’t see any significant changes to their distribution in News Feed as a result of this change.

“However, websites and Pages who rely on clickbait-style headlines should expect their distribution to decrease.

“Pages should avoid headlines that withhold information required to understand what the content of the article is and headlines that exaggerate the article to create misleading expectations.”

To find out more about Facebook’s latest News Feed update please click here.

Emma Woodley

Emma is a reporter at Global Dating Insights. Originally from Surrey, she has studied Communication and Media at Bournemouth University and The University of Central Florida. She enjoys socialising with friends, exploring new places and can often be found with her nose in a book.

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