Guest post by Tinu Abayomi-Paul
There’s often so much focus on getting your site to rank in Google Web search that another route to more potential customers is frequently overlooked – Google News.
Why Should Your Business Story Be In Google News?
First, if you’re already trying to get noticed in other parts of Google, a little extra work could get you more exposure in an area where there’s less competition for eyes.
After all, you’re already producing the content. Or as Search Engine Land tells us:
…what would you say if I said your site could earn 10% more clicks from Google with very little extra work? Would 20% more clicks interest you? What if the number was 30% or more?
You can get that kind of extra traffic from Google News, and it can come faster.
Second, reading the news is one of the top things people do when they come online. 87% of US Adults use the internet, according to Pew Internet Research. 78% of adult internet users come online to check the news.
Since the top activity is to use a search engine, it’s tempting to stop there for additional exposure. But if you can increase the amount of targeted visitors who visit your site just by getting that same content in different hands – and often get results sooner – isn’t it worth the extra effort?
How Do You Get a Story to Show Up in Google News?
There are three main ways. The first way, of course, is to submit a press release (or an article) to a site that appears in Google News.
Of course, you can submit your press release to many of the services that will share it in Google News for a fee. You can also often find smaller publications that accept free or low-cost press releases.
However, this is a bit of extra work for a yield that will be less than the one you pay $25 – $100 to do. If it takes you an hour, will that extra hour be worth the savings?
Here’s the Easiest, Fastest way
The second way to get into Google News is to be published in a publication that already gets exposure from Google News in the form of blog posts or news stories.
You don’t have to be a marketing genius to understand the benefits of being published in a prominent publication with a byline that points back to your site, versus the amount of money you’d have to spend in advertising to get that same level of exposure.
This method is also a bit harder because you will often be asked to submit only completely unique content. You may not be guaranteed publication either – which can be a plus, as this also means low-quality competition cannot follow you here.
Don’t let that scare you.
(One of the secrets is to find the best publications for your niche, that are most likely to publish your work – I’ve found publications that run stories on everything from pet food to online dating.)
Here’s the Long-Term-But-Worth-It-Way
The third way to get into Google News is to become a Google News publisher yourself. It’s not quick, it’s not easy, and it’s not for people who don’t have staff that can publish daily news, as Google News does not accept publications which only have one writer.
According to Google, there are 50,000 of these Google News Publishers shared the six billion clicks that Google news send to it, per month. The clicks can’t possibly be distributed evenly, however, a shot at 120,000 extra visitors a month is reason enough to make the attempt if you meet all the other criteria.
Most existing sites don’t qualify to be Google News publishers, so you may need to make major modifications or build a new one.
Before you build the site, examine Google’s technical requirements for Google News publishers. Review the Google News publisher guidelines even if you have seen them before, as they may change from time to time.
Also, study guides on becoming a Google News publisher from reputable search publications. You can also find communities where people have gone through the application process to become a Google News publisher and review their feedback for clues.
These three methods can help you get into Google’s news database, sometimes faster than you would show up in search. And even in cases where the risk of being rejected is higher, the rewards are higher as well.
Tinu Abayomi-Paul is a respected author and digital marketer who has been working on the internet since 1998. She has published a low-cost guide that reveals her secret tips for the easiest method of getting high-quality links, leads, and visitors from Google News.
You can pick it up here*: http://freetraffictip.com/0-google-news/?e=mam56
Versions of this article first appeared in Web.com, Vocus and on FreeTrafficTip.com.
* I am an affiliate of Tinu’s Free Traffic Tip program and am compensated when you purchase using this link.
Image courtesy of Spencer E. Holtaway https://flic.kr/p/69pNSR (Creative Commons)