Is your content not showing up in Google News?
The aggregator may pick up your website through its normal web crawl but, if it doesn’t, there are two ways to request inclusion. (If you’re not sure if your content is appearing in Google News, just search your site’s base URL.)
Google News Publisher Center
Google News Publisher Center allows publishers to request their website to be crawled by Google News. It also allows improved discovery and classification of your site so it can be crawled more efficiently.
But in order to be included, publishers must comply with Google News’ content policies and technical guidelines. You also must verify ownership and submit some details about your news site.
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind:
1. Proper use of meta tags
Some of your content may not be applicable for inclusion on Google News. Meta tags tell robots which pages not to crawl.
2. Website transparency
Content should include clear bylines, information about authors and contact information for your publication. Read more on Google News’ policies.
3. Permanent, unique section pages
If the URLs of your main news sections change on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis, Google News may not be able to include your site. If your main news section changes after your site has been accepted into Google News, be sure to update your section URLs.
4. Subscription and paywall content
Publishers should enclose paywalled content with structured data to help Google differentiate paywalled content from the practice of cloaking. Without it, the paywall may be misinterpreted and the pages could be removed from search results.
5. HTML article format
PDFs or other non-HTML formats cannot be crawled. Stick to HTML format.
6. Mobile responsiveness
Users now browse websites from a mobile device as much as — or more often — than from a desktop computer. Because of that, Google favors sites with responsive design.
7. Google News site map
Once your request has been approved, you should consider creating a Google News sitemap. It’s not required, but it does allow Google News to find all the news articles on your site more quickly.
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Google News Producer
Another way to submit your website for inclusion in Google News is through Google News Producer.
While it’s not required for inclusion in Google News, Producer can provide publishers with editorial control and monetization opportunities. This production tool allows users to optimize their content and products and manipulate how it appears in Google News searches.
