Only who changes will be saved. Journals that want to survive the publishing crisis have an (obliged) ally: Google News. Something editors (and journalists) have to familiarize more and more with, in order to keep up with the times, even if that kind of solution does not match up with traditional fees of news reporting. That’s Danny Sullivan’s opinion, technologist and editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land, authoritative Overseas blog. He spoke with tempi.it.
Mr. Sullivan, could you explain to us how does Google news work?
Like any search engine, it gathers pages from across the web and uses an algorithm to sift through those pages in response to a search to find what it thinks are the best matches. Factors such as how fresh the news is, if the news article uses the search terms and the authority a publication carries in a particular area all come into play.
Is it possible to pay to rank better in Google News?
No, that’s not true.
In your opinion, the search engine is a source or an obstacle for the editors?
It’s an incredible source that delivers huge amounts of readers to news sites.
What the editors should know in order to succeed?
Think about the terms people are using to seek news and ensure you are using those terms in your headlines, as well as in the new news meta tag. Also, be sure you’re included in Google News, of course. There are many other general SEO practices that people might consider. A good starting place is our “What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?” page.
How do SEO practices change news reporting?
Mainly, reporters probably need to ensure they are writing in the language that readers would themselves use. Don’t get lost in technical jargon, for example.
A journalist should write in a different way for the internet?
It’s not that much different.
Social networks and 2.0 solutions are really useful and profitable?
Social networks can drive lots of traffic directly to news sites and also can help with search rankings, so they are useful to drive traffic. If you make money off of traffic, then they can be profitable.
What do you think will survive of the old media and old journalism in the new ones?
Smart publications that adapt to the web will continue; those that refuse to adapt and instead look to somehow push the internet back into the print age are going to lose.