Getting your website listed in Google News can significantly boost your online visibility, drive targeted traffic, and establish you as a credible source in your niche. However, it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. It requires a combination of meeting Google’s technical requirements, adhering to its content guidelines, and consistently publishing high-quality, newsworthy articles. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process, providing detailed steps and instructions to help you navigate the complexities of Google News inclusion.
Understanding Google News: What It Is and What It Looks For
Before we dive into the technicalities, it’s crucial to understand what Google News is and what type of content it aims to showcase. Google News is an automated aggregator that crawls the web for news articles, categorizes them, and presents them to users based on their interests and location. It’s not a traditional news publication with human editors; instead, it relies on algorithms to determine which sites and articles meet its criteria.
Google News primarily seeks content that is:
- Original: Articles must be your own work, not copied or spun from other sources.
- Timely: News is time-sensitive, so your articles should focus on recent events and developments.
- Accurate: Factual correctness is paramount. Double-check your information and cite your sources.
- Objective: Avoid overly opinionated pieces unless you are clearly labeled as an opinion column. Strive for neutral reporting.
- Authoritative: Demonstrate expertise in your field. Build your reputation as a reliable source.
- Well-written: Your articles should be clear, concise, and free of grammatical errors.
- In-depth: Provide context and analysis beyond just the basic facts.
- Transparent: Be clear about who you are and your journalistic practices.
Google News is not meant for blog posts, product reviews, how-to guides, or evergreen content. While these types of content are valuable, they don’t fit within the news parameters of Google News.
Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Website in Google News
Now, let’s get down to the specific steps you need to take to increase your chances of being accepted into Google News:
Step 1: Meet the Technical Requirements
Google News has specific technical requirements that your website must meet. These are crucial for the crawler to properly access and understand your content. Here’s what you need to focus on:
- Website Structure:
- Clean URL Structure: Use descriptive URLs that are easy to understand (e.g., `/category/article-title`). Avoid lengthy, complex URLs with special characters.
- Clear Site Navigation: Make it easy for users and crawlers to navigate your website. Implement a clear menu structure and category system.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Your website must be responsive and display correctly on all devices, including smartphones and tablets. Mobile-first indexing is crucial for Google.
- Fast Loading Speed: Optimize your website for speed. Use image compression, caching, and other techniques to reduce load times.
- Use HTTPS: Ensure your website is secured with an SSL certificate (HTTPS). This is mandatory for all websites today.
- Content Formatting:
- Use Semantic HTML: Use appropriate HTML tags (e.g., <article>, <header>, <footer>, <h1> to <h6>, <p>) to structure your content logically.
- Article Structure: Structure your news articles logically. Include a clear headline, introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Proper Dates and Times: Display accurate publication dates and times, preferably with time zone information.
- Author Information: Clearly state the author of each article. Include an author page with a bio and contact information.
- Avoid Excessive Advertising: Keep advertising on your website minimal and non-intrusive. Don’t overload your pages with ads.
- Sitemap:
- Create a News Sitemap: Generate a specific news sitemap using the <news:news> tag. This is a crucial step and differs from your regular website sitemap. You can use a plugin or a tool like XML Sitemaps to generate this.
- Include All News Articles: Ensure that all your new news articles are included in your news sitemap.
- Submit to Google Search Console: Submit your news sitemap to Google Search Console.
- Robots.txt:
- Allow Googlebot News: Make sure your robots.txt file doesn’t block Googlebot-News from crawling your website.
Step 2: Create High-Quality News Content
Once you’ve got your technical aspects in place, the next and equally important step is to consistently publish high-quality, original news content. This is where you truly demonstrate your eligibility for Google News. Here’s what to focus on:
- Focus on News:
- Cover Timely Events: Report on recent happenings in your niche. Stay up-to-date with current affairs.
- Investigative Reporting: If possible, conduct investigative reporting. This will set you apart from other sites.
- Original Research: Include original data or research. This adds credibility to your work.
- Expert Interviews: Interview relevant experts in your field.
- Content Guidelines:
- Originality: Every article should be original, not copied from other websites.
- Accuracy: Verify all information before publishing. Cite reliable sources.
- Objectivity: Present news in a neutral and unbiased manner. Avoid personal opinions.
- Attribution: Give credit to the original source of the news if it is not original. Provide links.
- Transparency: Be transparent about corrections, affiliations and ownership.
- Avoid Plagiarism: Use plagiarism checkers to make sure all of your content is 100% unique and not copied.
- Writing Style:
- Clear and Concise: Use clear language and avoid jargon.
- Engaging Writing: Write in an engaging style to hold the reader’s attention.
- Good Grammar and Spelling: Ensure your articles are free of grammatical and spelling errors.
- Proper Headline: Write a compelling headline that accurately reflects the article’s content.
- Regular Publishing:
- Consistency: Establish a regular publishing schedule, whether daily or weekly.
- Frequency: The more high-quality news articles you publish, the better your chances of getting accepted.
Step 3: Submit Your Site to Google News Publisher Center (If Required)
In the past, Google News had a formal application process via the Publisher Center. However, Google has moved towards a more algorithmic approach and actively crawls the web for newsworthy content. While a formal submission isn’t always necessary, registering your site in the Google News Publisher Center can be beneficial in certain cases.
Here’s how to do it if you feel it’s relevant for you:
- Create a Google Account: You’ll need a Google account to access the Publisher Center.
- Visit Publisher Center: Go to the Google News Publisher Center ([https://publishercenter.google.com/](https://publishercenter.google.com/)).
- Add Your Publication: Click on the option to add a new publication and follow the on-screen instructions, which will involve providing:
- Website URL
- Publication Name
- Publication Category
- Language
- Location
- Verification: You will likely need to verify ownership of your website via a verification code.
- Review Google News Policies: Carefully review the Google News Publisher Guidelines and policies. Make sure you fully understand them.
- Submit for Review: After filling all the necessary information, submit your application.
- Wait for Approval: It can take Google some time to review your application. Be patient, and in the meantime, continue publishing quality content.
Step 4: Be Patient and Monitor Your Progress
Getting your website indexed in Google News is a gradual process. Don’t expect overnight results. Be patient, keep producing high-quality news content, and monitor your progress. Here are some tips to help you with this phase:
- Monitor Google Search Console: Use Google Search Console to track your website’s performance. Check for crawling errors, index status, and keywords driving traffic to your site.
- Check Your News Sitemap: Make sure your news sitemap is being correctly processed and no errors are being reported.
- Analyse Analytics: Track the traffic you are getting and where the traffic is coming from.
- Stay Updated on Google News Policies: Google’s algorithms and policies are constantly evolving. Keep yourself updated on any changes.
- Focus on Quality: Don’t sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity. Continue to publish original and high-quality content.
- Improve User Experience: Make sure your website is user-friendly. Good user experience is beneficial to both users and Google.
- Network with Other Publishers: Building relationships with other news publishers can help with visibility and establish your reputation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
To increase your chances of success, be aware of these common mistakes that can prevent your site from being accepted into Google News:
- Duplicate Content: Never copy content from other websites. Google News values originality above everything else.
- Low-Quality Content: Poorly written articles with grammatical errors and inaccuracies will get you rejected.
- Lack of Transparency: If your authorship is not clear or you are being dishonest about your credentials or reporting practices, this can hurt your credibility.
- Excessive Advertising: Too many ads can negatively impact the user experience and reduce your chances of getting accepted.
- Irregular Publishing: Publishing sporadically will make it difficult to prove your site is a consistent source of news.
- Ignoring Technical Issues: Make sure all technical requirements are followed and issues that are reported by Search Console are investigated and resolved.
- Impatience: Getting into Google News takes time. Be patient and continue to produce quality content.
Conclusion
Getting your website listed on Google News is a challenging but worthwhile endeavor. It requires meticulous attention to both technical requirements and content quality. By following these step-by-step instructions and consistently publishing valuable, original news articles, you can significantly increase your chances of being recognized as a credible news source by Google News and reach a broader audience. Remember that consistent effort and commitment are the keys to success. Focus on producing high quality and original journalism, and eventually Google News should recognize your site. The journey may be slow and tedious but the results will be well worth the effort.