Google News aggregates headlines from diverse sources, offering personalised news updates and boosting visibility for publishers through featured articles and news snippets in search results.
Google News is a specialised vertical search engine launched by Alphabet Inc. in 2002, designed to aggregate and deliver news content from various sources. This platform prominently features news snippets in search results, especially when users query current events or trending topics. Google News aims to enhance the visibility of news articles and provide users with timely and relevant information.
How Google News Operates
Google News displays results in both desktop and mobile search environments. On mobile devices, news articles are often presented using Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to ensure fast loading times and a streamlined user experience. Users can specifically search for news by selecting the “News” tab within Google Search. The ranking criteria for news articles differ from traditional search results, with emphasis placed on the timeliness and authority of the news source.
Requirements for Inclusion in Google News
To be featured in Google News, websites must meet specific technical and quality standards. Adherence to these criteria is crucial for inclusion:
Topicality: Articles must cover current events or trending topics to be eligible for inclusion.
Original Content: All content should be original and not copied from other sources. Although news agencies may contribute, their reports should still offer unique perspectives or insights.
Transparency: Each article should clearly state the author’s name and include contact information for the editor to ensure accountability and credibility.
Accuracy: Google News requires that all content is factually accurate and free from misinformation or misrepresentation, thus combating the spread of fake news.
Advertising Balance: The site should have a low percentage of advertising relative to content. Excessive ads can diminish the quality of user experience.
Sufficient Text Length: Articles should contain a substantial amount of text. While there’s no strict word count, a guideline is to have more than 350 words to provide meaningful content.
Non-Commercial Focus: Articles should be journalistic and informative, not primarily promotional or advertising-oriented.
Mobile Optimisation: The site must be optimized for mobile devices, ensuring that news content is easily accessible and viewable on smartphones and tablets.
Technical Requirements
Clear URLs: Each article should be accessible via a straightforward and clean URL.
Proper Linking: Links to news articles should not rely on JavaScript or other non-standard methods that Google might not index properly.
HTML Format: Content should be submitted in HTML format rather than PDFs or other non-indexable formats.
Crawling and Indexing: Ensure that the site is not blocked from crawling by Googlebot through robots.txt files.
Optimisation for Google News
To optimise a website for Google News:
Regular News Production: Continuously produce news articles that are relevant and timely.
Meet Technical Standards: Ensure that all technical guidelines are adhered to, including proper HTML formatting and mobile optimization.
Content Quality: Focus on high-quality, original journalism that adheres to Google’s content standards.
Google News Sitemap: Although not mandatory, creating a Google News sitemap is beneficial. This sitemap should list up to 1,000 URLs of recent news articles to facilitate faster crawling and indexing by Google.
Criticisms of Google News
Google News has faced criticism from publishers and media companies over issues such as copyright infringement. Many argue that Google’s use of headlines and excerpts from news articles in its snippets constitutes a violation of copyright laws. In 2014, conflicts with publishers in Spain led to Google excluding several news sites from Google News, resulting in significant traffic declines for those sites.
The conflict largely revolves around “ancillary copyright” laws, which mandate compensation for publishers when their content is used by other sites. Google maintains that displaying snippets does not infringe on these laws, while publishers argue that even brief excerpts should be licensed.
Benefits for SEO
Google News can be a valuable tool for SEO, particularly for news-oriented websites. High-traffic, trending topics featured in Google News can drive substantial traffic to your site. However, gaining inclusion requires a commitment to producing high-quality, relevant news content.
Practical Example: A website specializing in tech news might benefit from being listed in Google News if it regularly reports on emerging technologies or significant industry events. Conversely, a niche blog about obscure hobbies may find it challenging to gain traction in Google News.
Google Alerts as an SEO Tool
Google Alerts is a useful feature for monitoring news related to specific keywords. By setting up alerts, users receive email notifications when new content matching their keywords appears in Google News. To set up Google Alerts, go to the Google News search page, click on “Create alerts,” and enter the keywords you wish to track.
By understanding and applying these guidelines and tools, webmasters and SEO professionals can enhance their site’s visibility and relevance in the competitive landscape of online news.
Google News is a specialized vertical search engine launched by Alphabet Inc. in 2002. It aggregates and displays news content from various sources, prominently featuring news snippets in both desktop and mobile search results. The platform aims to provide users with timely, relevant news articles based on current events and trending topics.
Google News displays news results in a dedicated section of Google Search. On mobile devices, news articles often appear as Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) for fast loading. Users can also filter search results specifically for news by selecting the “News” tab. The ranking of news articles is based on factors like topicality, authority, and the quality of the content.
To be listed in Google News, a website must meet several criteria:
Topicality: Content must cover current events.
Originality: Articles must be unique and not copied from other sources.
Transparency: Include author names and contact information.
Accuracy: Avoid misinformation and ensure factual reporting.
Minimal Advertising: Limit the proportion of ads on the site.
Sufficient Text: Articles should be detailed, ideally with more than 350 words.
Mobile Optimisation: Ensure the site is optimized for mobile devices.
Technical requirements for inclusion in Google News include:
Clear URLs: Articles should be accessible via simple, clean URLs.
Proper Linking: Avoid using JavaScript or other non-standard methods for linking.
HTML Format: Content should be submitted in HTML, not PDFs or other formats.
Crawling and Indexing: Ensure the site is not blocked from crawling by robots.txt.
To optimise for Google News:
Produce Regular News Content: Ensure a steady stream of relevant and timely news articles.
Follow Technical Guidelines: Adhere to Google’s technical requirements for news sites.
Focus on Quality: Maintain high standards for content quality and originality.
Consider a News Sitemap: Create a Google News sitemap with up to 1,000 URLs to facilitate indexing.
A Google News sitemap is a specialized XML sitemap that lists up to 1,000 URLs of news articles. It helps Google crawl and index news content more efficiently. Although not mandatory, having a Google News sitemap can improve the likelihood of your articles being included in Google News.
Common reasons for exclusion include:
Failure to Meet Content Standards: Such as publishing duplicate or thin content.
High Advertising Ratio: Excessive ads relative to content.
Technical Issues: Problems with URL structure or improper use of HTML.
Inaccurate Reporting: Publishing misinformation or unverified news.
Google News prioritizes timeliness, authority, and the relevance of news content. While traditional Google Search rankings consider factors like keyword relevance, backlinks, and overall site authority, Google News emphasizes current events and the credibility of news sources.
Publishers have criticized Google News for potentially violating copyright laws by using headlines and excerpts from news articles without proper compensation. Disputes have led to some publishers being excluded from Google News, which can result in a significant drop in traffic.
Yes, Google Alerts can be used to monitor new content related to specific keywords. By setting up alerts, users receive notifications via email whenever new articles matching their keywords are published. This tool helps keep track of industry trends and competitive analysis.
To help you cite our definitions in your bibliography, here is the proper citation layout for the three major formatting styles, with all of the relevant information filled in.
- Page URL:https://seoconsultant.agency/define/google-news/
- Modern Language Association (MLA):Google News. seoconsultant.agency. TSCA. December 22 2024 https://seoconsultant.agency/define/google-news/.
- Chicago Manual of Style (CMS):Google News. seoconsultant.agency. TSCA. https://seoconsultant.agency/define/google-news/ (accessed: December 22 2024).
- American Psychological Association (APA):Google News. seoconsultant.agency. Retrieved December 22 2024, from seoconsultant.agency website: https://seoconsultant.agency/define/google-news/
This glossary post was last updated: 29th November 2024.
I’m a digital marketing and SEO intern, learning the ropes and breaking down complex SEO terms into simple, easy-to-understand explanations. I enjoy making search engine optimisation more accessible as I build my skills in the field.
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