Running a website publishing the latest news everyone’s talking about is a great way to get a lot of traffic on the internet. But it’s even more crucial for news websites to appear on the Google search podium than many other type of websites, since most people searching for such news do so in a short period of time and there isn’t much volume over the long term.
Of course, it’s easier said than done. Just think about it: You’re constantly going to be on your toes looking for the latest news. To top it off, you’ll have to make sure the right audience also finds the news they’re interested in by visiting your website.
As a Google Certified Publishing Partner, we’re going to give you some of the best tips to optimize SEO on news websites to rank higher in Google’s SERP.
Why Should News Sites Care About SEO Ranking?
Remember: Being the first to publish just won’t cut it. You’ll also need to make sure you’re optimizing your content and website for search engines.
Google’s the King of Search and it’s got some pretty specific guidelines for sites publishing news. If you want Google to show the news you’re publishing to the audience that wants to read about it, you’ll have to learn about their guidelines and stick to them.
Google has always been about making sure users find the most relevant information on the internet whenever they use the search giant. Now, Google created a search algorithm that helps the platform find the most useful information for anyone’s search query and show it to them. The only problem is that everyone using the internet figured out how to manipulate the algorithm to make sure they rank without providing any real substance.
That said, Google didn’t become the giant it is only to be fooled by some people who’ve figured out how to “hack” the algorithm. Google’s constantly improving on its ability to provide a great service. It’s been cracking down on misleading and clickbaity content.
Gone are the days when people could use tricks to beat the algo. Google’s all about authenticity now. At Refinery89, we’re not just here to help you monetize your website. While that’s part of the deal, we’re here to help you further.
What Are the Best Tips to Optimize SEO on News Websites?
1. Get featured in Google News & Google Discover
Getting featured on Google News and Google Discover is like the holy grail for news websites. Check out Google’s content guidelines et à technical guidelines for inclusion. There’s quite a bit to unpack when it comes to the guidelines. From publishing timely content to making sure you’re posting high-quality news, there are a few things you should do to meet Google’s standards.
Make sure you’re creating engaging and evergreen content about current trends as well to maximize your chances of getting featured on Google Discover. To make it on Google News, submit your website to the Google News Publisher Center. If you’re following the best tips to optimize SEO, you might get approval for it and feature on Google News as well!
2. High-quality content creation
After its latest update, Google is improving at ensuring people find high-quality content for their search queries on the platform. Make sure you’re following Google’s E.E.A.T. guidelines when creating content for your news site.
For starters, using generative AI tools or similar tools to generate numerous pages without adding value for users it’s included in the “DONT’S” list of the spam policies for Google web search.
Since you’ll be writing about news that others will definitely talk about as well, you’ll also need to be careful you’re not publishing duplicate content. If you’ve already published news on your site about something and there are developments in the story, update the older content to keep it fresh. Google loves that.
3. Keep your site operational and mobile-friendly
To deliver on the promise of a great user experience, Google also wants to rank websites that people have easier access to and can use easily. This means a website that doesn’t take more than a few seconds to load. Since most people use the internet on their phones, it automatically means prioritizing mobile-first optimization. A responsive web design goes a long way in boosting your SERP ranking.
Minimizing your page code and properly fixing technical errors will help a lot. If you’re unsure about how well your website’s doing, use tools to measure and enhance mobile and desktop SEO performance to make sure it delivers a great user experience.
4. Technical SEO best practices
As much as Google’s new updates focus on the substance, quality, and relevance, there still are technical aspects you can’t forget. Your website should have a clear structure and an accurate XML sitemap, and you should use schema markup.
For news websites, shema markup is essential since it helps search engines undertand the content of your articles with things such as headlines, publication dates, authors and multimedia content. With a good structure, you improve your visibility in search results, driving more traffic to your site.
A great way to identify and fix technical problems on your website is using Google Search Console. Use this tool to spot any issues and address them to make your website much easier for search engines to crawl for all the high-quality content you’re publishing.
5. Link-building and authority
Trustworthiness means a lot when you want to rank on Google. One of the best ways to achieve that is by using high-quality external linking on your website. If you’re using information from a reputable source on the content you’re publishing on your website, add links to them.
Whenever you’re publishing new content that is relevant to other content on your website, adding internal links is a great idea. Internal linking improves the chances of people visiting other pages on your website. Better engagement with your website means good news if you’re looking for a better ranking.
Backlinks to your website are also a great way to build authority. You can also use Google Search Console to monitor the performance of your backlinks. This can help you make any adjustments for improvements and boost your ranking.
As a Publisher, What’s the First Step in the Right Direction?
To sum it up, let’s go over everything:
● Make high-quality content
● Mobile-first optimization
● Following technical SEO guidelines
● Link-building and authority
● Getting featured on Google News and Google Discover
These few tips will help you make sure your website’s ranking higher on SERPs and getting all that valuable traffic you’re looking for. While some of these might be a walk in the park for you, others can pose a challenge but they can help you get far more traffic on their website once you implement them.
If you’re running a news website and want better ad results to increase your revenue…
We’re the experts who can help! Check out how we can help you with a tailored solution for your needs by contacting us today
