I think your point about one-off visitors is key. If most traffic is coming from search/social, there's no real incentive to build a clean, loyal-reader experience
... when it comes to news, however, I am always winding up at the major newspapers (e.g. New York Times) from search and social.
... when it comes to news, however, I am always winding up at the major newspapers (e.g. New York Times) from search and social.