The Independent’s social-commerce revenue edged past its SEO-based commerce revenue for the first time in September, according to CEO Christian Broughton speaking at Digiday’s Media Strategies event in London. This milestone marks a notable change in how the publisher generates commerce income, moving from search‑driven affiliate links to sales facilitated directly through social media platforms.

Social commerce in this context refers to purchases made via native shopping features on platforms such as Instagram Checkout, TikTok Shop, or Facebook Shops, where users can complete transactions without leaving the app. SEO‑based commerce, by contrast, relies on traffic from search engines that directs users to affiliate links or external product pages, with revenue earned after the click‑through and purchase.

The crossover suggests that publishers are seeing stronger conversion rates or higher average order values from socially sourced shoppers compared to those arriving via traditional search. For The Independent, the shift aligns with broader industry trends where audiences increasingly discover and buy products through short‑form video, influencer posts, and interactive ads embedded in social feeds.

For creators, the development highlights the growing importance of building shoppable content within social ecosystems. As platforms expand native checkout capabilities, creators can capture purchase intent more directly, reducing reliance on external landing pages or search‑optimized blog posts. This approach can streamline the path from content to conversion and potentially increase earnings per post.

While SEO remains a valuable traffic source, the news signals that creators and publishers alike should consider diversifying their monetization tactics. Experimenting with social‑first commerce strategies—such as live shopping events, product tags, and affiliate links integrated into platform native stores—may help creators stay competitive as the balance between social and search‑driven revenue continues to evolve.