How to get on Google News, and whether a small business needs it

How to get on Google News: Google picks news sites automatically, based on its own rules, and it only shows sites that publish real news on a regular basis. For most small businesses, that is not you, and that is fine. Your customers find you through normal Google search and Google Maps. Below you see how Google News works, who it is for, and what to do instead.

What is Google News and where do you see it?

Google News is a separate Google service that collects news articles from many publishers on one page. A publisher is anyone who regularly publishes news: a newspaper, a magazine, a TV channel or a local news site. You can open Google News as a website or as an app on your phone.

You also see it inside normal Google search. When you search for something that is in the news, a block called 'Top stories' shows recent articles. Search for your town during a big local event and you will probably see it.

So Google News is not a list of all websites. It is a list of news. That difference decides everything else in this article.

How does a site get into Google News?

Google says its systems find and pick news content by themselves. There is no form that gets you in and no way to pay for a place. What you can do is make it easy for Google to see that your site is a news site.

You may also come across Google Publisher Center. That is a free Google tool where news publishers manage how their site looks in Google News, such as the name, logo and sections. It is meant for people who run a news site. Setting it up does not put you in Google News by itself.

Google publishes its own content rules for news, so read those before you spend time on this. In general, a news site has things like these:

• New articles published regularly, not once a year
• A date and an author name on every article
• An About page and contact details that show who runs the site
• Original text, not copied from other websites
• A clear site that loads well and reads well on a phone

Is Google News something for your business?

For most small businesses, no. A plumber, a dentist or a flower shop does not publish news. A post that says 'we have a spring sale' is an advert, not news, and Google treats the two differently.

It can make sense if you really run a news-style site. Think of a local news blog, a magazine for your trade, or a site that reports regularly on your industry. In that case, look at the Google content rules and at Publisher Center.

If that is not you, do not dress up your offers as news. It takes time, it is unlikely to work, and the same hours do more good somewhere else.

What works better to get your business found on Google?

Your customers do not search for news. They search for things like 'emergency plumber Alicante' or 'wedding flowers Leeds'. You want to show up for those searches. That is what SEO is: making your website easy for Google to understand, so it can show you to people who are looking for what you do.

Here is what usually helps most:

• Give each service its own page, and mention the town or area you work in
• Find out how customers actually phrase their question, using keyword research
• Fill in your free Google Business Profile, the listing that shows you on the map
• Ask happy customers for a review, and answer every review
• Add your site to Google Search Console, a free Google tool that shows how your site does in search and lets you ask Google to look at a new page

How do you follow news about your business?

Google has a setting called 'preferred sources' for Top stories. It lets a reader pick the news sites they want to see more often. It only matters if you publish news yourself. For you, the question is different: do you know when someone writes about your business?

Set up a free Google Alert. Go to google.com/alerts, type your business name in quotes and choose how often you want an email. Google then tells you when a new page with that name shows up. It could be a local paper, a blog or a customer review.

If the press does write about you, ask whether they can link to your website. A link from a local news site can send visitors your way. If your own Google News feed looks wrong, check the topics and sources you follow in the app settings.

What can you do today?

You can do these in one afternoon. Results do not appear overnight, and how long SEO takes depends on your market. But these steps are the right start.

For a sense of what steady SEO work can do: for Bloemenhuis Orchidee, a flower shop, we saw 118% more organic traffic in 3 months. Organic traffic means visitors who come from the normal, unpaid search results.

• Search your business name and check what Google shows
• Claim or update your Google Business Profile
• Set up a Google Alert for your business name
• Make a list of your top three services and check each has its own page
• Add your site to Google Search Console

Want to know where you stand in Google?

If you are not sure what Google shows for your business, I can look at it for you. You talk to me, Dimitry, and I do the work myself. The quickscan is free, even if you don't buy anything. You get a clear view of what is working and what to fix first. Request the free quickscan.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to apply to get on Google News?

Google says its systems find and choose news content by themselves, so there is no application that gets you in. Publisher Center is a tool to manage how a news site appears. To be considered, your site needs to publish real, original news regularly and follow Google's content rules.

How do I upload my article to Google?

You do not upload articles to Google. You publish the article on your own website, and Google finds it by following links. To speed it up, add your site to Google Search Console and use its URL inspection tool to ask Google to look at the new page.

How do I get my website visible on Google?

Make sure Google can find your site, then give people a reason to see it. Add it to Search Console, give each service its own page, mention your area, and fill in your Google Business Profile. It takes weeks or months, not days, and nobody can promise a position.

How do I get my name or business name to show in Google Search?

You cannot enter your name in Google yourself. Google shows what it finds online. Build a website with your name and business details, fill in a Google Business Profile, and use the same name and contact details everywhere. Then search for your name after a few weeks.

What is Google Publisher Center?

Google Publisher Center is a free tool for news publishers. It lets them manage how their site and sections look in Google News, such as the name and logo. It is made for news sites. A normal business website does not need it.

Dimitry founder of Growetic. He does SEO, Google Ads and websites for businesses in the Netherlands, on Bonaire and in Spain.