Submit Your Site to Google News
If you’re the owner of a news site, you’re likely committed to sharing the latest information with readers across the globe. However, with so many news sites on the web, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. This can limit your reach.
Fortunately, news aggregators such as Google News enable you to speak to a much larger audience. This means you can break news quickly and efficiently, and get ahead of the competition. It will also provide numerous benefits to your website, which can in turn increase its rankings in search engines.
In this post, we’ll introduce Google News and discuss which sites are best suited for its use. We’ll then explain how to submit your website to Google News, and explore the benefits your site can reap as a result. Let’s get started!
What Is Google News?
In a nutshell, Google News is a comprehensive, up-to-date news aggregator and web application that’s developed by Google. The news displayed on this application is sourced from all over the world.
Google News offers a variety of features for readers, including the option to personalize your newsfeed and see only the topics you care about most. Perhaps its most compelling feature is the ability to sync your feed across multiple devices (including computers and Android or Apple phones), by simply signing into your Google account.
Should You Submit Your Site to Google News?
Google News is a perfect platform for sharing your latest website content, especially if your site focuses on discussing current events and timely news stories. However, you may also want to submit your site if you frequently publish press releases, opinion pieces, and the like.
Do keep in mind that content posted to Google News is vetted, and there are certain policies you’ll be required to follow. For example, advertisements must be limited, and copyrighted content is expressly prohibited. There are also content types that are restricted, such as anything sponsored or vulgar.
This is another reason to submit your site, in fact, as only the highest-quality content is approved for display. You’ll know that your content is being broadcast alongside pieces of a similar quality, which will boost your authority to both readers and search engines.
How to Submit Your Website to Google News
There are a few simple steps you’ll need to carry out if you’d like to submit your website to Google News. To begin, go to the Google News Publisher Center. Here, you’ll need to verify ownership of your website via the Search Console:
You can gain access to the Search Console by clicking on the button shown above, or visiting the webpage directly. Click on Add a Property if your website is new, or Manage property > Verify property if you’ve previously submitted your website.
You’ll be prompted to enter your website’s URL, and then be asked to select a verification method:
The recommended (i.e. quicker) method involves downloading an HTML file, which you’ll then upload to the back end of your website. There are alternative methods as well. For example, you can add an HTML tag to your site’s home page, or go through your Google Analytics account.
Once your site has been verified, it’s time to have the your URL and its contents included in Google News. To do so from the Publisher Center, click on Request inclusion in News Index next to your website:
You’ll be prompted to enter some website information, such as news section URLs and labels. Go ahead and do that, and then click on Submit:
The inclusion request will take anywhere from one to three weeks to be reviewed. You can keep an eye on your website’s Google News status by returning to the Publisher Center. Once the review is complete, you’ll either see Included or Review complete: Site rejected under the News heading.
Benefits of Google News
Since Google is the top dog of search engines, there are many benefits to having your website indexed and included in the Google News listings. It can increase your page authenticity and authority, as well as the organic search traffic that’s driven to your website. In a way, it’s as if Google is endorsing your content, which will naturally boost its visibility.
In addition, one of the most compelling benefits of using Google News for your website is the lightning fast indexing. Your page or post will appear in Google News results within a matter of minutes. At the same time, it will also be added to the main search results. As such, you can break news even faster than your competition!
The above benefits are all excellent for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Plus they’ll enable you to stand out from similar websites across the web that may not be indexed on Google News.
Get Support for More Common WordPress Questions from WP Engine
Adding your WordPress website to Google News is a smart way to improve your site’s authority. It can also expand your reach, so you’ll know your content is being seen by your target demographic. This is why we highly recommend it for sites that regularly post timely content or news.
Do you have any questions about submitting your site to Google News, or how WP Engine’s stellar support team can help? Let us know in the comments below! Also be sure to check out our Resource Center for answers to the most common WordPress questions.
