Google recently announced an update that allows publishers featured in Google News to showcase their sites’ best original works, and content marketers should take note. The new Editors’ Picks service lets brands highlight the content they believe will be most relevant to their readers.
The search giant explains, “An array of news organizations, including local, national and niche publishers, are now using Editors’ Picks to display their best, most engaging content.” The featured content is presented in an “Editors’ Picks” tab on the right-hand side of Google News, and users can scroll left to right to see editor-selected content for various publications.
For content marketers, Editors’ Picks creates the opportunity to (better) control the branded content News searchers will see. This is a great way to promote the articles that are most relevant to products and services offered by a publisher, as well as articles on topics that will hit home with target audiences. Google points out that the feature aims to improve readers’ experience as it puts human editors in charge of content curation. Marketers should remember that better site experiences increase the chances of repeat visits.
Google News is a less-cluttered space that offers search visibility for businesses with news content marketing strategies, and now Editors’ Picks boosts the chances that readers will see a site’s most valuable, timely content pages. Editors’ Picks are available for mainstream news brands and “niche publishers” alike. Businesses interested in enabling Editors’ Pick RSS feeds for Google News.
