How to Optimize a SEO News Site
Search Engine Journal is one of the premier SEO news sites online, featuring updates on Google’s SEO policies as well as in-depth analyses from John Mueller musings.
News websites should strive to avoid duplicative content as this could prompt Google to penalize their site.
Keyword research
At the core of any SEO strategy is keyword research, which uncovers which queries users are entering on Google and their intent behind those searches – information which can then be used to inform content and website architecture decisions.
News sites must ensure their articles are unique, as duplicate content can be detected by Google and filtered out. They also must ensure an accurate headline is used, which plays an integral role in ranking within Top Stories.
Another key element for news sites is ensuring a clean URL structure, as this will improve their site’s crawl speed and user experience. Proper ALT text writing for images also increases searchability of your content while improving rankings for image-related keywords.
Meta title and description
Meta titles and descriptions for news websites are crucial components of clickability, as they should attract the right type of visitors and include eye-catching language such as power words that captivate the visitor while remaining readable and concise. Furthermore, search engines like Google will highlight any relevant terms in the meta description if it matches up to a query query in bold in your meta title/description combination.
An effective meta description can convince searchers that your page is the answer to their search query, while also including key pieces of information not fit for inclusion within title tags or page content – such as including service phone numbers and prices in service meta descriptions.
Even though Google may or may not use your meta description, taking the time and effort to write one will surely pay dividends.
Alt text for images
Image alt text is often overlooked but is an essential SEO element that enhances accessibility on websites. Used by screen readers and search engines alike to interpret image meaning, image alt text should provide accurate descriptions that relate to its subject matter while being relevant to its subject area.
Be specific and descriptive with your description, avoiding generalizations like “Image of a cat sleeping on a blanket.” Also try to avoid stuffing keywords into alt text as Google can interpret this as keyword stuffing.
Instead of starting your alt text with “picture of” or “image of,” which are unnecessary and do not provide additional information to those with visual impairments, consider providing context with file names as they provide searchers and screen readers more context for an image.
Sitemaps
News websites often host a significant amount of content, making it essential to make it simple for readers to locate what they need. A sitemap and categorization of articles are two effective strategies. Furthermore, tags and alt text for images must also be added for maximum effectiveness.
A news sitemap helps search engines easily index articles on your website faster, while image and video sitemaps should also be created to index these types of media.
Make sure your news sitemaps are regularly updated with fresh articles to increase crawl speed and help Google News more quickly find them. Also remember that news sitemaps cannot contain more than 1000 URLs at one time and any custom SEO titles containing publisher information must be removed to remain compliant with Google News Publisher guidelines.
Unique hero images
A hero image is an impressive, large image at the top of a web page designed to set the mood and connect emotionally with visitors. Additionally, these hero images may also serve to make announcements such as sales or new content available for consumption.
Unique hero images can set your news site apart from competitors and encourage readers to share your articles across social media platforms. When selecting stock photos, be sure to give each a personalized touch so it stands out among its competition.
An hero image can help your company stand out from its competition and address potential customer inquiries about its brand or products. A hero image could feature customer testimonials, satisfied customer numbers or third-party recognition of your product as a great way to showcase itself or answer their inquiries.