In the third quarter of 2026, Average Engaged Time remained highest in Central/Eastern Europe, search traffic fell across most regions, and reader loyalty fell in the Middle East.
Read on for more audience insights from our third quarter research below.
Compare to our previous insights: Q2 2026 | Q1 2026 | Q4 2025
Average Engaged Time remained highest in Central/Eastern Europe
Average Engaged Time remained highest in Central/Eastern Europe at 38.9 seconds. The Middle East and Africa followed with 30.1 and 26.8 seconds, respectively.
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Mobile traffic grows in Southern Europe
Central Asian and African publishers continue to receive most of their traffic from mobile devices. This traffic source accounts for more than three-quarters of overall traffic to these regions. Southern Europe followed closely behind at 75%, rising 3% from Q2.
Search traffic fell or remained the same globally
Search traffic fell across many regions in the third quarter. Central Asia saw the steepest decline overall, with search pageviews falling 7%. Meanwhile, regions like Latin America, Central/Eastern Europe, and North America saw no change in search traffic.
Social traffic increased in Southeast Asia and Africa
27% of pageviews in Southeast Asia came from social platforms in the third quarter, rising one percent from Q2. Africa saw the sharpest increase in pageviews from social platforms, rising 3%.
Loyalty fell in the Middle East
Reader loyalty held relatively steady worldwide, with the exception of the Middle East, where the share of pageviews from loyal readers fell 4%. Northern Europe continues to hold the highest percentage of pageviews coming from loyal readers at 59%.
The road to loyalty is changing. Read our recent Q&A with Chartbeat CMO Jill Nicholson for her advice on building loyal audiences amid traffic shifts.
Takeaways from our third quarter research
Average Engaged Time across the globe is 25 seconds.
Average Engaged Time ranged from 38.9 seconds in Central/Eastern Europe to 19.7 seconds in Central Asia. Overall, average audience engagement fell by a second compared to Q2.
Audiences are mobile-first.
In any given region, at least 59% of site visits occur on mobile devices, and in four regions, it’s more than 75%.
Pageviews from search continue to decrease.
Search traffic decreased or remained the same across all regions in Q3. While search traffic is declining, overall traffic to publishers in the Chartbeat network remains steady, a sign that audiences continue to trust their preferred sources for news and entertainment despite changes to the way they find them.
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