Google News SEO is extremely important for your success as a publisher. After all, simply registering your site and expecting traffic to appear won’t cut it. You’ll need to work on it, especially for breaking news.

If you’re an advertising partner of Grumft, welcome to our blog. But if you’re not yet, we hope this content motivates you to explore our unique programmatic solutions for publishers and advertisers. In this article, you’ll grasp how to prepare your articles for higher rankings through Google News SEO.

The Importance of Investing in Google News SEO

Optimizing content for Google News attracts visitors and boosts brand popularity. Google News is a reliable news aggregator that recommends up-to-date content to millions of readers, driving organic traffic.

Google News Surfaces and Their Relevance

Users use various surfaces to get news, including articles, YouTube videos, blog posts, and weather forecasts. Google highlights your site in three distinct places:

• Top News: The upper section of search results, powered by a specific algorithm, providing high traffic to sites.
• News Guide: An extension of Top News, displaying all ranked news in the search, albeit with less traffic.
• Google News: A vertical search engine accessed via link or app, offering curated content.

Difference Between the Surfaces

• Top News: Highlights relevant and fresh topics with the potential to generate substantial traffic.
• News Guide: Displays ranked news in the search but with fewer clicks compared to Top News.
• Google News: Requires access via link or app and refers to the Top News section.

Google News SEO often refers to Top News.

Tips for Doing SEO in Google News

• Structured Data Schema: Use structured data to enhance Google News SEO. Consider structured markup for news articles and utilize AMP for mobile devices.
• LiveBlogPosting: Employ blog posts for textual coverage of ongoing events.
• Paywall Schema: If you have paid subscriptions, use the “isAccessibleForFree” Paywall schema.
• Speakable Schema: Use the Speakable Schema property to identify article parts suitable for audio playback using text-to-speech (TTS).
• QAPage / FAQPage: Properly marked FAQ pages can have enhanced results in Search and action on Google Assistant.
• VideoObject: Use the Video schema to improve the visibility of videos in search results.
• Site Permanent Structure: Maintain stable section URLs to help Google understand and index your site.
• Permanent and Unique Article URLs: Each news article should have a dedicated and descriptive URL.
• News XML Sitemap: Create a news XML sitemap to indicate specific areas and provide recent articles.
• Single Language per Page: Avoid using multiple languages on a single page.
• Inclusion of Signature and Date: Ensure your articles have signatures and dates close to the title.
• Relevant Internal Links: Ensure your news has relevant links to other pages and sections.
• Content Distribution: Distributed content should be NOINDEX or have canonicals to the original source.
• Publication Dates: Include clear and visible dates on the page and in the schema. Don’t artificially update them.
• Titles and Headlines: Put titles in focus, match page titles with article titles, avoid redirects, and steer clear of initial numbers.
• Article Excerpts: Avoid extra text between the title and body of the article, distinguish author signatures and date information.

Following these practices helps optimize your news site for Google News and improves visibility in search results.

SEO for Top News in Google News: Essential Tips

• Top News Carousel: The Top News carousel attracts organic traffic, and any article, not just AMP, can appear in it.
• Title Optimization: Optimizing titles is crucial. The <h1> title is displayed in Top News. Prioritize clear keyword usage and starting the title with the target entity. Keep titles concise and avoid inappropriate content.
• News Selection: Algorithms select and rank Top News based on online frequency, updates, relevance, location, and diversity.
• Coverage Differentiation: Analyze your content considering your news niche. Highlight what sets your coverage apart and makes your stories unique.
• Indexing Criteria: To be indexed in Google News, you need to offer timely articles, original content, high grammatical and spelling quality, and appropriate readability.

By following these guidelines, you can optimize your content to stand out in Google News’ Top News and attract more organic traffic to your stories.

Ranking Factors for SEO in Google News’ Top News

• Relevant Keywords: Keywords influence SEO in Top News, highlighting terms searched by readers for recent information.
• Authority and Reliability: Trusted sites carry weight in displaying results. Authority is crucial in evolving news situations or crises.
• Key Entities: Keywords related to people, events, organizations, locations, and popular concepts have an impact. Highlighting them in the title, subtitle, and story beginning is important.
• Authority Development: Continuing coverage on specific topics builds authority in Google’s eyes.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): CTR and article timeliness influence ranking. Higher traffic indicates preference and increased ranking.
• Compelling Titles: Strong titles attract readers. Optimizing titles based on the headline field is essential.
• Citation and Buzz: The quantity of references and buzz around a URL affects ranking.
• Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): AMP pages are highlighted in Top News, being fast and reliable in user experience.

Considering these factors when optimizing content for Top News increases news visibility and reach.

Ranking Factors in Google News

Ranking in Google News depends on various algorithmic factors, including:

• Content Relevance and SEO: The match between search keywords and article content is crucial for article display.
• Originality of Content: Google News values original and independent content, prioritizing exclusive news.
• Prominence and Trends: Covering trending topics increases the chance of display.
• Authority: Credibility and source reliability are essential.
• Content Update: Frequently updated articles have greater prominence.
• Location and Language: Location and language influence results.
• Source Trust: Credibility and history influence trust.
• Publication Timing: Publishing during active audience hours is advantageous.
• Content Diversity: Google News values diverse sources, including blogs.
• Rich Textual Content: Content formatted with media and style enriches the experience.
• User Preferences: User-customized settings impact results.
• Usability: Easy viewing and responsive design are important.
• Speed of Publication: Being prompt in publishing breaking news is crucial.
• Structured Data and XML Sitemaps: Technical requirements for inclusion.
• Publisher Center: Using the Publisher Center to manage brand information and categories aids in ranking.

Meeting these criteria optimizes news ranking in Google News.

Final Thoughts

In summary, by following Google News SEO and Top News techniques, you can rank your content on the platform. To enhance visibility, compare your content with other publishers, specialize in regional news, and maintain journalistic quality. 

Although there’s no immediate guarantee of results, continue working on creating a unique identity, writing impactful headlines, and staying updated. Remember the importance of staying informed and leverage Grumft’s support on this journey.

Autor(a):

Fernanda Calandro

Online since 1997, I am a marketing and content professional with a solid background in marketing. Specialized in simplifying complex topics through my writings, I facilitate the connection between publishers and experts, promoting clear and accessible understanding.