For WordPress site owners looking to expand their reach and increase traffic, getting listed on Google News can be a game-changer. It is a powerful platform that aggregates news from thousands of channels worldwide, making it an ideal place to showcase your content to a broader audience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to submit your WordPress site to this platform.
What is Google News?
Google News is a news aggregation service offered by Google. It gathers headlines and snippets from a wide range of news sources worldwide, presenting them in a concise and organized format. It uses algorithms to curate and prioritize news stories based on relevance, freshness, and user preferences.
Users can personalize their news feed by selecting topics of interest, and the platform continuously learns from user behavior to refine content recommendations. It covers a diverse array of topics, including current events, politics, business, technology, sports, and more.
Publishers can submit their websites to be included in Google News through the Google News Publisher Center. Once accepted, their content becomes accessible to a broader audience, potentially increasing visibility and traffic to their sites. Google News is available both as a website and as a mobile app, letting users stay informed on the trending news wherever they are.
Need to Submit your WordPress site to Google News
Submitting your WordPress site to Google News offers several compelling benefits:
- Increased Visibility: Google News is a highly popular platform that attracts millions of users seeking up-to-date news and information. By being listed on Google News, your WordPress site gains access to a vast audience, increasing visibility and potential traffic.
- Expanded Reach: Getting your content featured on this platform exposes it to a broader audience beyond your regular readership. This can help you reach new readers, attract more subscribers, and grow your audience base.
- Credibility and Trust: Being listed on this platform lends credibility and authority to your WordPress site because your website may appear alongside prominent brands such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and others. Users tend to trust content that appears in Google News, as it undergoes a vetting process and is considered reliable and relevant.
- SEO Benefits: Google News inclusion can positively impact your site’s search engine optimization (SEO). It can lead to higher rankings in Google’s search results, especially for news-related queries, driving organic traffic to your site.
- Enhanced Brand Exposure: Appearing on this platform can help raise awareness of your brand and establish your site as a reputable source of news and information within your niche or industry.
- Monetization Opportunities: With increased traffic and visibility, you may have more opportunities to monetize your WordPress site through advertising, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, or other revenue streams.
Prerequisites for Being Accepted in Google News
Starting from December 2019, submitting your website is no longer a mandatory step for Google News eligibility. Publishers meeting the criteria are automatically assessed for inclusion in the ‘Top stories’ featured snippet and News tab on Google search.
Nevertheless, the submission process remains available, and it is advisable to utilize it for better visibility. To be considered for acceptance on this platform, your website must meet several requirements:
- Publish High-Quality Content: This platform prioritizes original, timely, and relevant news content. Your articles should be well-written, informative, and provide value to readers.
- Regularly Update Content: Maintain a consistent publishing schedule and regularly update your website with fresh news content. It favors websites that frequently publish new articles.
- Clear Website Structure: Ensure your website has a clear and user-friendly layout that makes it easy for visitors to navigate and find the information they’re looking for. Use clear headings, categories, and tags to organize your content effectively.
- Comply with Google’s Content Policies: Adhere to Google’s content policies, which prohibit the dissemination of misleading or harmful information, hate speech, adult content, and other violations. Ensure your content is accurate, trustworthy, and suitable for all audiences.
- Proper Attribution: Provide proper attribution for your sources and avoid plagiarizing content from other websites. Google values originality and rewards websites that produce unique and original content.
- Technical Requirements: Your website must be accessible to Google’s web crawlers and comply with technical guidelines, such as having a responsive design, fast loading times, and a secure HTTPS connection.
- Publisher Center Registration: Sign up for a Google News Publisher Center account and submit your website for consideration. Provide accurate information about your publication, including its name, URL, language, and geographical coverage.
Stepwise Procedure to Create a Google News Sitemap in WordPress
It’s crucial to understand that a Google News sitemap differs from a standard XML sitemap. The Google News Sitemap exclusively features news articles, enabling search engines to swiftly identify content intended for the news section. Creating a Google News sitemap in WordPress is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Install and Activate a Plugin:
Start by installing and activating a WordPress plugin that supports generating Google News sitemaps. One popular and free option is the “XML Sitemap & Google News” plugin, which offers robust SEO features, including Google News sitemap functionality. The plugin automatically creates News sitemaps for your site and promptly notifies Google whenever you publish a new post.
Step 2: Enable the Google News feature:
After installing and activating the plugin, go to the settings section on your dashboard. Click on “Reading” to enable the feature.
After saving, you can access your Google News Sitemap feed via this link: https://newsmag.awsus3.cdn-alpha.com/sitemap-news.xml. The format will resemble the following example:
Step 3: Submit Sitemap to Google News Publisher Center:
Copy the URL of your sitemap and submit it to the Google News Publisher Center.
Sign in to your Publisher Center account, navigate to the “URL” section, and paste the website URL in the provided field. Click on “Add” to complete the process.
Step 4: Fill in the Publication Details
It will ask you for details.
Click on “Add publication” to go the next step of verification.
Step 5: Verify Sitemap Submission:
After submitting your publication, verify its status in the Publisher Center. It will ask you to get it verified from Google Search Console.
Mention your website URL under “URL prefix” section.
Follow the instructions of ownership verification.
You should see a confirmation message indicating that your publication has been successfully submitted and is being processed.
Troubleshooting Common Issues After Submitting Your Website To Google News
Troubleshooting common issues related to submission for inclusion on this platform involves addressing various potential issues that may arise during the process. Here are some common problems and solutions:
- Website Not Indexed: If your website is not being indexed by this platform, ensure that your site meets Google’s content policies and technical requirements. Verify that your site is accessible to Google’s web crawlers and that there are no issues with indexing or crawling.
- Low-Quality Content: This platform prioritizes high-quality, original news content. If your submissions are consistently rejected, review your content to ensure it meets Google’s quality standards. Focus on producing timely, relevant, and well-written articles that provide value to readers.
- Technical Errors: Check for any technical errors or issues that may be preventing your site from being included on this platform. Common issues include broken links, slow loading times, and compatibility issues with mobile devices. Use tools like Google’s Search Console to identify and fix technical issues.
- Violation of Guidelines: Ensure that your website complies with Google’s content policies and guidelines. Avoid engaging in practices such as keyword stuffing, cloaking, or publishing misleading or deceptive content. Violating Google’s guidelines can result in your site being penalized or removed from Google News.
- Incorrect Metadata: Google News relies on metadata to understand and categorize your content. Make sure that your articles have accurate metadata, including titles, headlines, publication dates, and article summaries. Incorrect or missing metadata can affect your site’s visibility and indexing on Google News.
- Duplicate Content: Google News does not accept duplicate content from multiple sources. If your content is similar to that of other websites, ensure that it provides unique value or perspective. Avoid plagiarized content from other sources, as this can result in your site being excluded from Google News. Use plagiarism checker tools to identify duplicated content.
- Relevance and Timeliness: Google News prioritizes timely and relevant news content. Ensure that your articles cover current events and topics that are of interest to your audience. Focus on producing original, newsworthy content that provides fresh insights or updates on relevant subjects.
Conclusion
By submitting your website to Google News and optimizing it for Google Discover, you can elevate your content to the forefront of the digital world. With careful attention to guidelines and a dedication to quality, you can unlock the full potential of these platforms.
FAQs
How long does it take for Google to review and approve my WordPress site for inclusion in Google News?
The review process can change in duration, but typically, it may take several weeks for Google to review your site and make a decision. During this time, it’s crucial to continue publishing high-quality news content and ensuring compliance with Google’s guidelines.
What should I do if my WordPress site is rejected by Google News?
If your site is rejected, Google will provide feedback on the reasons for rejection. You can address these issues and re-submit your site for review. It’s essential to carefully review Google’s feedback and make necessary improvements to meet their guidelines.
Once my WordPress site is approved for inclusion in Google News, how can I optimize its performance?
You can optimize your site’s performance by consistently publishing high-quality news content, optimizing for search engines, monitoring traffic and engagement metrics, and staying updated on Google’s guidelines and best practices. Regularly reviewing and refining your approach will help maintain and enhance your presence on Google News.
