The guidelines of Google News are changing every day and marketers are finding it difficult to keep up with the dynamics. As a result of such specific requirements, many press releases fail to cut the mark and end up being rejected by Google News. Even a few years back, Google’s guidelines were rather considerable but with the changing dynamics of the market, they were bound to introduce algorithmic and functional changes on their platform. Aggregating multiple headlines from various sources and then grouping them according to the reader’s personalized choice is the process followed by Google News in a nutshell. The rankings are based on the popularity of websites, and many other relevant factors like the uniqueness of news, its location, diversification, social, cultural, and political relevance, and more.
Google News paves the way for over 100,000 business opportunities to publishers. All this happens within a minute that translates to 4 billion clicks every month. But it important to know a few editorial tactics so that press releases published by companies or independent content creators and journalists can increase their traffic through Google News.
Length of Press Release
Determining the ideal length of a press release is extremely crucial. No content should be too short or too lengthy since this invites the chances of getting rejected by Google News. As per marketing experts, the recommended range for an ideal press release should be between 200 to 500 words. Pick your length correctly because going out of bounds will only result in getting flagged as a very short or a very lengthy press release which ultimately gets discarded.
Fragmented Press Release
Numbered or bulleted lists in press releases are not entertained by Google News. Content that does not contain proper sentences are flagged as ‘Fragmented Content’ by Google News before getting shoved up as rejects. Another great tip that will get you past the Google News guidelines is to avoid using any kind of fragmented texts of lists in the release.
Unique Content
There is no place for duplicate press releases on Google News. For instance, if a press release is submitted through a different distribution service that is affiliated with Google News, your chances of getting featured again on Google News are slim to none. Always try to produce content that is original and never resort to duplication or plagiarism. Another tip is that Google News prioritizes content that is relevant, unique, focused, and of course, original and authentic.
Contact Information
While writing a press release, always remember to mention the name of the company or brand, the product or services, and the head spokesperson within the headline. A news release is not just ideally written this way but also instantly attracts attention just by its title.
No Place for General Headlines
Never generalize the headline of your press release because they end up looking more like a blog than news. Generalized headlines are usually understated by Google News and are discarded most of the time. Your headline should be a one-liner brief of the entire story with keywords and meaningful terms. Another great information about Google News and its guidelines is that they do not publish a press release with a headline in all caps.
Do Not Go Overboard with Formatting
Keep the press release clean as formatting only complicates the visual as well as the functional stance of it. Extra formatting is always inculcated if the article is posted in directly from MS Word. Always past into plain text editor or Notepad before the final submission of the text. Avoid using excessive formatting features and header tags. A few bolds or underlines are permitted but that is about it.
Using Proper Nouns
Also known as ‘original named entities’, proper nouns in press releases are an added benefit. Suppose a news source publishes a story with proper names that are not used in articles published on similar topics, the former news gains the attribute of original and authentic reporting.
Be Fast and Updated
The scope of news is as dynamic as it can get. If you are constantly updated yourself with changes in the market, your chances of a good ranking on Google News also increase. A story that is fast and has the potential of a breakthrough story, it is always instantly accepted.
An Engaging First Paragraph
Answers the questions to what, when, who, where, and why within the first couple of sentences of the press release. That is where you will attract the attention of the reader and engage them to check out the rest of the story.
Click-throughs
Click-throughs are again very crucial in deciding the potential of a press release. As per Google News, a press release with high click-through rates is considered as more relevant and with each click, the engagement of readers or audiences can be measured. This also allows press releases to climb up the Google News Ranking.
Photos
Sometimes overlooked and understated, photos, and images in press releases can make a lot of difference in how Google News selects articles for publishing. If need be, take help from professional graphic designers to get your aspect ratios rights. Not only do photos make press releases visually appealing but the same theory applies when it comes to Google New picking stories for publishing as a press release that looks good garners more audiences.
Writing a good press release requires expertise and experience but the aforementioned editorial tips and tricks are tried and tested in the scope of Google News opportunities. A press release is integral for a company or brand and Google News forms the best global opportunities for the expansion of business proximities. Follow the guidelines and get featured in the most functional and effective news broadcasting source there is take your business and goals to the epitome of success.
