How The New Republic Scaled Editorial Efficiency and SEO with Imgix
the customer
The New Republic (TNR) is a leading voice in American political and cultural commentary, known for its in-depth analysis and thought-provoking essays. With a dedicated readership that includes policymakers, academics, and thought leaders, TNR’s content shapes conversations around critical issues in politics, society, and culture.
The publication reaches millions of readers each month across its print and digital platforms, and engages audiences through its coverage of breaking news, opinion pieces, and long-form articles. As its online presence continues to expand, TNR must consistently deliver timely, high-quality content in an increasingly fast-paced and competitive news environment to ensure that it remains a go-to source for insightful and impactful journalism.
the cHALLENGE
As The New Republic’s digital presence grew, the editorial team faced significant challenges with image management. Editors were required to manually resize and crop images, a labor-intensive process that often required developer support. This workflow not only created bottlenecks in the publishing process but also increased the risk of delays, which is particularly critical during breaking news events where every second counts.
Additionally, TNR needed to optimize its image delivery to support SEO and maintain image quality. The site’s growing demands—especially with the addition of a breaking news desk—meant that even small inefficiencies in managing visual media could impact the editorial team’s ability to quickly publish content that met their high standards for accuracy and presentation.
the solution
To overcome these challenges, TNR partnered with Imgix to implement an image management and optimization strategy that would reshape their editorial workflow. By integrating Imgix with their custom CMS, TNR empowered its editors to adjust and preview images directly within a WYSIWYG interface—eliminating the need for developer intervention on routine image tasks. This integration brought significant improvements to their content production process, enabling the editorial team to meet the demands of rapid publishing cycles without compromising quality or consistency.
Key features and implementations included:
- `auto` Parameters: Imgix’s automatic format and compression settings ensure images are optimized for web delivery without sacrificing visual fidelity. With modern formats like AVIF, TNR has significantly reduced image weight, allowing for better management of large visual assets.
- Face Detection and Cropping: Advanced face detection and smart cropping features automatically center subjects within images, providing consistent, professional-quality visuals across the site.
- Responsive Design: With automatic resizing capabilities, images are delivered at the optimal dimensions for every device, ensuring a seamless user experience that adapts to varying screen sizes.
- Lazy Loading: Implementing lazy loading through Imgix’s React component enabled TNR to defer offscreen image loading and reduce initial page load requirements.
As a result, TNR now serves an average of 3.84M images daily and has reduced image size by an average of 84%, leading to more efficient content delivery and streamlined performance.
the results
By implementing Imgix’s advanced image optimization and management solutions, TNR achieved significant improvements in workflow efficiency, SEO performance, and overall editorial quality. The new system brought measurable impact across several key areas:
- Streamlined Editorial Workflow: Routine image adjustments that previously created bottlenecks were now managed directly within TNR’s custom CMS, resulting in a faster, more agile content production process. The team previously dealt with around 45 cropping and web image-related emergencies each year, but now they can publish content in real time with confidence, knowing there won’t be any image-related issues.
- Increased Productivity and Developer Time Savings: By reducing the need for developer intervention in image-related tasks, TNR saved countless developer hours previously spent on routine image management. This allowed the development team to focus on higher-impact projects and enhancements.
- Improved Search Engine Performance and Engagement: TNR experienced substantial gains in both visibility and user interaction. Total clicks from Google Search surged by 176%, while their click-through rate (CTR) increased 33%. Additionally, total impressions nearly doubled, demonstrating broader reach and stronger engagement across search platforms.
cONCLUSION
The integration of Imgix has been instrumental in transforming The New Republic’s digital operations, enabling the team to deliver high-quality content at speed, boost visibility across search platforms, and engage with a larger audience. TNR has reduced manual intervention, increased developer efficiency, and significantly enhanced their SEO performance. With these improvements in place, they are well-equipped to expand their digital presence and continue delivering impactful content as it adapts to the ever-changing media landscape.
