Google Search is the cornerstone of the online discovery process, enabling users worldwide to find the content they need with a few keystrokes. It represents a critical opportunity for publishers to reach audiences, drive traffic, and establish authority in their niche.
However, understanding how Google Search works—and how to optimize for it—is not always straightforward. Success often involves navigating nuances, balancing competing priorities, and staying updated with evolving algorithms.
The article examines how Google Search interacts with publishers’ content, highlighting its broader impact on traffic beyond traditional search results. It also touches on ways publishers can enhance visibility across these features.
While actionable advice is included, it’s essential to recognise that outcomes can vary, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
What Sets Google Search Apart
At its core, Google Search is query-driven. Unlike platforms such as Google News or Google Discover, which serve content based on user interests and behaviours, Google Search requires users to input a specific query.
This fundamental difference means publishers must align their content with user intent, ensuring it is discoverable when audiences search for information.
Google Search is broadly divided into two components:
- Universal Search: This integrates content from multiple verticals (e.g., web pages, images, videos, and news) to deliver the most relevant results for the query.
- Dedicated Verticals: These are specialised search indices, such as Google News, Images, and Videos, designed for specific types of content.
The Universal Search results page (SERP) is highly dynamic, offering publishers opportunities to appear in features like the Top Stories carousel, the Google News Tab, video packs, and image carousels.
While these features present significant traffic potential, appearing in them often requires optimising multiple aspects of your content—from its structure to its technical setup.
How Google Search and Google News on Search Work Together
Google Search doesn’t operate in isolation. Its integration with Google News adds a layer of complexity and opportunity for publishers.
Here are the two key ways Google News intersects with Google Search:
Google News Tab
This is a dedicated vertical within Google Search that is specifically for news content. When users click on the News tab after entering a query, they are presented with a curated list of news articles relevant to their search.
Publishers can improve their chances of appearing in this tab by ensuring their content adheres to Google News content policies and is indexed properly.
While inclusion in the News Tab is algorithmic, the content’s quality, relevance, and freshness are critical factors. Additionally, publishers can track traffic originating from the News Tab using Google Search Console’s performance report.
Top Stories Carousel (a.k.a News Box)
This in-SERP feature highlights breaking or relevant news content directly on the main search results page. It is estimated that it accounts for 80% to 90% of publisher traffic from the Google search platform. I.e., it is the main event for Publishers on Search; you are either featured on Top stories regularly or feeding off scraps in the rest of the SERP.
To appear in this highly visible section, publishers must:
- Be included in Google News.
- Optimise for Core Web Vitals and ensure their pages load quickly and efficiently.
- Use structured data such as the Article schema.
It’s worth noting that while the carousel is prominently displayed, appearing here depends on various algorithmic factors, including the timeliness and authoritativeness of the content.
Why Google Search Matters for Publishers
Google Search offers unparalleled opportunities for publishers to connect with audiences, but it’s not without challenges.
Here’s why Search is indispensable:
- Broad Reach: With billions of daily searches, Search provides access to a vast and diverse audience.
- Cross-Platform Impact: Optimising for Search can improve performance on other Google platforms, such as News and Discover, due to shared algorithms and guidelines.
How to get into the Top Stories Carousel
Getting your content into Google’s Top Stories carousel can significantly boost visibility and traffic. While there are no guaranteed formulas, there are several key factors that can improve your chances. From ensuring your content complies with Google News policies to leveraging structured data, these steps are essential for positioning your articles to appear in this high-visibility search feature. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know to optimize your content for the Top Stories carousel.
- Get included in Google News: The best way to rank for the top stories carousel search feature is to get included in Google News.
- AMP and Core web vitals: AMP is no longer a requirement. As of June 2021, to be eligible to appear on the Top Stories carousel, you only need to comply with Google News content policies. Just so you know, although this change is part of the Page Experience Algorithm Update, it is not a requirement.
- Use the article structured data: This is not a requirement, but it is highly recommended as it makes discoverability faster and understanding of the news article much clearer for search engines. Also, refer to our Article Page Best Practices.
A Nuanced Approach to Search Optimisation
In the next article, we’ll explore Google’s news-related features, including the News Tab and Top Stories carousel, diving deeper into how publishers can optimize for these specific opportunities. Stay tuned!
Google News
A detailed guide to Google News, what it is and how it impacts your traffic
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