Visitors are also likely to trust your website more when they see it featured on Google News. This not only contributes to building brand credibility and authority but also enhances the overall trustworthiness of your WordPress site.
Interestingly, you can submit your WordPress site to Google News even if you aren’t officially categorized as a news site. As long as you regularly post content on current issues, you’re eligible.
In this blog, we’ll explain what is Google News and guide you step-by-step on how to submit your WordPress site to Google News-
What is Google News?
Google News serves as a news aggregator. It displays the most recent news and stories from your state or around the globe over the past 30 days.
You’ll often see Google News results at the top of the page under ‘Top stories. Also, for Android and iOS users, the Google News app is available. This app has more features than the website version.
By clicking the ‘More news’ button or clicking on the ‘News’ tab on a Google search results page, you can access a dedicated page showcasing Google News stories.
Why Should You Submit Your WordPress Site To Google News ?
Moreover, having your WordPress site featured contributes to building credibility and authority. This association points toward that your site is trustworthy and provides high-quality information.
Beyond the traffic boost, being featured in Google News can positively impact your WordPress SEO. Other websites are likely to think your content is trustworthy, and this can result in increased backlinks to your site. As a result of this, your website ranking will increase for specific keywords.
Important Rules For Appearing In Google News
Google sets strict criteria for publishers who wish to submit their content on Google News. If you have all set for submitting your WordPress site to Google News, you need to keep these eligibility rules in your mind.
Your content must not be
- Dangerous
- Deceptive
- Hateful,
- Sexually explicit
Additionally, Google requires you to be transparent. This means that details like author bylines, contact information, dates, and information about your publication or company should be clearly provided. It’s important to thoroughly go through these Google News policies.
How to Submit Your WordPress Site To Google News?
Important Note: The email address used to sign in to your Google account holds great importance. It is recommended to use your primary email for all the following steps. Let’s get started-
1. Adding Your Website to Google Publisher Center
To begin, visit the Google Publisher Center. In the left-hand menu, you’ll see the “Add Publication” button and click on it.
After this, a popup window will appear. In this, you need to enter your publication’s name, website URL, and the location of your website.
Once completed, your publication will be visible on your dashboard, indicating a successful addition.
2. Adjusting Publication Settings
After creating your new publication in the previous stage, it’s time to complete the setup by entering additional details into the settings.
For this, click on “Publication settings” to proceed.
On the next screen, you need to provide general information such as changing your publication name, primary language, and other relevant details.
Scroll down to specify the location of your publication and enter your website URL.
Note: Make sure that you have verified your website in Google Search Console beforehand; it is a crucial step.
Also, the email address used for Google Publisher Center and the one used to create your primary website property in Google Search Console must be the same. If the email addresses don’t match, your website might not get verified.
You have the option to provide additional URLs related to your publication, and you can add a different email address to receive notifications about technical difficulties and product changes.
Once all required fields are filled out, click “Next.“
After this, customize visual components for your publication, such as logos and fonts. But, before uploading images, carefully review the recommended file types and dimensions.
After making adjustments, click the “Save” button.
Congratulations! With this, your publication settings are configured.
3. Set up Google News Setting
Return to your publication dashboard and select Google News. Now, click the Edit button.
Add a Publication description and category. It’ll help visitors find your publication on Google News.
Scroll down to distribution options. Choose if your publication will be available globally or only in specific countries. You can also select Google products for content display (e.g., Chromecast, Google Assistant).
Now, click Next and Move to the Content settings tab. Add new sections that will appear as tabs on your publication page in the Google News app.
Use the dropdown menu and click the New section button to add sections from an RSS feed, web address, video, or personalized feed based on visitor interests.
Click Next when you’re done. These steps will help you customize and optimize your publication settings on Google News.
4. Review and Publish
You can check the status of your publication on the next screen. Click the Review buttons next to each section. Enter missing details or address concerns.
Now, scroll down and click Publish after reviewing and adding any missing information. This action submits your publication to Google for review.
After submission, you’ll receive a notification. Scroll down and click on “Follow publication“. It’ll allow you to preview how your publication will appear on Google News once approved.
Furthermore, sign in to the Google News app on your smartphone using your Google account and find your publication in the Favorites section.
By following these steps, you’ll successfully submit your WordPress site on Google News.
