SEO Best Practices for News Publishers

18 Jul 2022 · 36 min
35:47

The webinar, hosted by Similarweb and presented by SEO consultant Barry Adams, walks news publishers through the strategic role of SEO in modern journalism. Jackie Lee opens with a contextual overview of how the publishing landscape has shifted from print and broadcast to a multi‑device, multimedia environment, emphasizing that Google is the primary traffic source and that SEO is essential for competing not only with traditional news outlets but also with social platforms and streaming services. The session then delves into practical tools and tactics: 1. Technical site analysis – fast crawling, clean HTML, XML sitemaps, Core Web Vitals, and recommended crawlers (DeepCrawl, Botify, OnCrawl, JetOctopus, Screaming Frog, Sitebulb) plus Google Search Console. 2. Competitive research – using visibility indexes (Sistrix, Semrush, Ahrefs) and Similarweb’s traffic‑source comparison to identify share‑of‑voice and niche opportunities. 3. Keyword and real‑time trend research – leveraging Google Trends, Google Autocomplete, AnswerThePublic, and Similarweb’s real‑time data to capture fast‑moving news keywords, with guidance on avoiding overly niche jargon. 4. Real‑time performance monitoring – tools such as NewsDash, News Dashboard, Marfeel Compass, Chartbeat, Parsely, and GA Real‑Time Content Insights to track article rankings and traffic minute‑by‑minute. 5. On‑page news optimization – headline best practices (include full names, clear keywords), lead paragraph length (≥80 words, ideally 200 words), image specs for Discover (1,200 px wide, 16:9), URL structure with keywords, and internal linking/tagging strategies. 6. Long‑term authority building – top navigation, tag pages, internal linking, and E‑A‑T signals (expertise, authoritativeness, trust) to establish topical expertise. 7. Prioritization and quick wins – start with editorial SEO (better headlines, internal linking, tagging) before tackling deeper technical issues; quick wins yield immediate traffic while long‑term tactics sustain growth. 8. KPIs and benchmarking – use Similarweb for competitive benchmarks; align metrics with business model (page views for ad‑supported sites, conversion/subscription rates for paywalls). The Q&A covers article length (400‑500 words optimal), indexing of tag pages (should be indexed, with sensible volume), and recommended KPI sources. The webinar concludes with next steps and contact information.

Questions this video answers

Around 400 to 500 words is optimal; 200 words is the minimum for Google News traction, but 400‑500 words tends to perform best.

Yes, tag pages should be indexed so Google can recognize them as part of the site’s topical expertise. Use a sensible number of tags and avoid excessive URLs that could strain crawl budget.

Use Similarweb to compare your traffic and channel performance against competitors. Align KPIs with your business model: page views for ad‑supported sites, conversion rate and subscriber numbers for pay‑wall publishers.

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