Google Update: Understanding the Changes to the Top Stories Carousel
Another Google update has come, and it may give you the opportunity you’ve been looking for. No longer will you need to have Accelerated Mobile Page (AMP) content to be featured on the top stories carousel!
Google indexes AMP pages to provide a fast and reliable web experience. When an AMP option is available, it can be featured on mobile search as a part of rich results and carousels. Although the AMP format itself isn't a ranking factor for Google search, speed is.
There’s no question that “top stories” is a major source of traffic. When it was first introduced in 2016, it had an immediate impact on the news and media industry. And since then, the support for AMP has grown. However, it's now going to change considerably because it will no longer be reserved only for AMP content.
To make the most of this Google update, you need to learn about the changes that began rolling out last month. But first, it’s worth getting a refresher on what the top stories carousel actually is…
What Is the Google Top Stories Carousel?
According to Google…
“‘Top stories’ is a section that appears within Google Search when we detect a search query is news-oriented. We match the search with relevant, quality news content to display. ‘Top stories’ features articles related to the search, and a link to more related articles on the News tab.”
As mentioned previously, Google Search introduced the concept of top stories back in 2016, adding it to the search engine results page (SERP) features on both desktop and mobile.
Basically, this section brings together several useful and timely articles dealing with current news, trying to provide various points of view. It also ensures modern and attractive interaction for users, who can read articles from trusted sites and enjoy positive experiences. Google uses machine learning to select, collect, and sort news based on its significance. The search engine also seeks to reward the original news—namely facts, information, and fresh insights that have not been published anywhere else.
How Selected Articles Are Featured in the Google Top Stories Carousel
As stated above, the top stories carousel consists of useful and timely articles that cover specific news. Google also features notable quotes and opinion pieces, as it aims to offer users detailed and diverse angles to get a deeper understanding of the news.
Even the websites that are not registered as news sites with Google have a limited chance of appearing in the carousel. This means that blogs and other sources can also be included. But just because it’s possible for blogs to get a spot doesn’t mean it’s easy. Being registered as a news site helps a lot. Further, to get content into top stories, brands must follow best practices, which we’ll discuss a little later. And, up until the recent Google update, an additional requirement was for pages to be in AMP format.
What Changes Have Been Made to AMP and Top Stories?
After Google launched the Page Experience update this past June, AMP is no longer necessary for inclusion in top stories. In addition, the AMP icon will be retired, and the swiping interaction will be removed from the AMP viewers. Previously, swiping through stories in the AMP viewer was possible because pages are loaded instantly from the AMP cache. When other types of pages get added to the top stories carousel, Google will no longer be able to guarantee instant loading. To provide an optimal experience for searchers, Google will have to get rid of swiping.
However, it is possible for site owners to bring the instantaneous loading of AMP to other types of pages through signed exchanges. Signed exchanges let sites be preloaded safely and securely. They can also be on AMP sites, which will allow the pages to keep their original URLs.
What Does This Google Update Mean for Site Owners?
With the Google update removing AMP as a requirement for top stories, previously ineligible content is eligible for a coveted spot in this section—provided, of course, it’s high quality. Before, only pages that were built with AMP HTML were considered for the top stories carousel. Now, there’s greater opportunity for those who want to put their content front and center.
There is a downside to this, however. Since Google has opened the section to all web pages, there will be much more competition.
If you want your content to be in the top stories carousel, you need to implement the following best practices:
- Maintain good Core Web Vitals.
- Follow Google's guidelines.
- Publish relevant, news-like content.
- Use structured data to mark up content as an article, live blog, or video.
It’s worth stressing that you should check your page experience often. The good news is there’s an easy-to-use tool within Google Search Console to help. The Page Experience report gives an overview of your site visitors’ experience. And if any individual URLs are problematic, you can then take steps to improve them so that they have a better chance of ranking in search on mobile. If your content is currently listed in top stories, continue to produce high-quality content that has the appropriate structured data.
As a reminder, you don't have to be strictly a news site or be subscribed to Google News to make it into the top stories carousel. In fact, subscription to Google News has been abolished for the time being. This means that sites will not be able to request to subscribe to search engine news.
The New Role of Signed Exchanges
Sites will still have prefetching because of signed exchanges. A signed exchange is a “delivery mechanism that makes it possible to authenticate the origin of a resource independently of how it was delivered.” Basically, it means the browser can show the URL of the site where the content originally came from—not the URL of the server that delivered it.
When someone clicks on a blue link or a page in the top stories results, Google Search can prefetch all the content, just as it does with AMPs. This means faster page loads even with non-AMPs.
Of course, end-user privacy is a critical part of the process, and it is highly protected. Since the information is cryptographically signed by the server, the browsers are sure that it comes from a specific server, and not just searched as a cache or some other intermediary.
Takeaway
It’s clear that Google’s recent update has brought a lot of changes to how content is displayed in search. With the removal of AMP as a requirement for pages featured in the top stories carousel, more sites have the opportunity to get their content seen—including yours.
It’s just a matter of making sure you’re following Google guidelines and best practices…
Worried about your site's performance? Reach out for a FREE 20-Point Marketing Audit, which includes a full review of your website!
At Viral Solutions we are committed to seeing YOU succeed. It is our goal to grow your business with proven digital marketing strategies that will help your business for the long haul.
Stay Up To Speed in the Ever Changing World of Marketing!
Sign-up today for FREE, monthly marketing tips, loopholes, and news to EXPLODE your Return on Investment!
Share your knowledge and gain exposure by becoming a guest author on our blog! Learn how to write for us.
