Google has formally introduced a new feature to Search Console which will finally disclose how much traffic Google’s News areas give publishers, who also now have the ability to analyse the traffic that arrives via the News tab in search results. This new functionality will reveal impressions generated solely by the News section. Here’s how the filter looks in Search Console:

According to Google, this feature has been heavily requested for quite some time. And yet, its recent addition means that archived data is unavailable. The tech giant offered further details in an email sent subsequent to the announcement, which states:

“We’ve recently added new data to the Performance report in Search Console: Google Search’s News tab data. This data shows clicks, impressions, and click-through rates for any links seen in the “News” tab in Google Search results. To access this data in the report, click the “Search type: Web” filter on the top of the report, then select “News”.”

This addition to the Search Console is a valuable one that will undoubtedly help inform numerous digital strategies with a view to succeeding in Google News. If you’re a publisher who’s recently decided to investigate the platform further, you might be relieved to hear that you no longer need to submit your site in order to be eligible to appear in Google News. Google’s official guidance reads:

“Publishers are automatically considered for Top stories or the News tab of Search. They just need to produce high-quality content and comply with Google News content policies.”

Also, consider taking a look at Google’s “Webmasters” series. Here, it features a list of essentials publishers must consider if they’re going to succeed in Google News.

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