Google’s Top Stories carousel appears above traditional organic results for breaking news, trending topics, and timely content. For publishers, appearing in this prominent SERP feature can drive massive traffic spikes during news cycles. But getting there requires meeting Google’s strict technical and editorial standards.
This guide covers what it takes to appear in Top Stories and Google News, from technical requirements to content standards that signal news authority.
How Top Stories and Google News Differ
Top Stories and Google News are related but distinct features with different qualification paths.
Top Stories appears directly in Google Search results, typically as a horizontal carousel near the top of the SERP. Any publisher meeting Google’s technical requirements can potentially appear here, though established news sources dominate for major stories.
Google News is a separate product (news.google.com and the Google News app) that aggregates articles from approved publishers. While Google News inclusion isn’t required for Top Stories visibility, publishers in Google News often see better performance in both features.
| Feature | Location | Requirements | Traffic Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Stories | Google Search SERPs | Technical compliance, news content | High during breaking news |
| Google News | news.google.com, News app | Publisher Center registration recommended | Consistent news traffic |
| Discover | Google app, mobile homepage | E-E-A-T signals, engaging content | Variable, algorithm-driven |
The distinction matters for strategy. A Nashville-based business blog covering local industry news might appear in Top Stories for regional queries without formal Google News inclusion. A dedicated news publication would benefit from full Publisher Center registration.
Technical Requirements for News Visibility
Google’s news algorithms prioritize technical signals that indicate a legitimate, well-maintained news operation.
Page Speed and Core Web Vitals
News content competes in real-time. When multiple sources cover the same story, faster-loading pages gain an advantage. Google’s systems can index and surface quick-loading articles faster during breaking news situations.
Target metrics for news pages:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) under 2.5 seconds
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP) under 200 milliseconds
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) under 0.1
News pages often struggle with CLS due to ads loading after initial content render. Implement ad slot reservations to prevent layout shifts as advertisements populate.
NewsArticle Schema Markup
Structured data helps Google understand article metadata and display rich results. NewsArticle schema should include:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Article Title Here",
"image": ["https://example.com/image.jpg"],
"datePublished": "2025-01-15T08:00:00-06:00",
"dateModified": "2025-01-15T10:30:00-06:00",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Reporter Name",
"url": "https://example.com/author/reporter-name"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Publication Name",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
}
}
}Critical fields that affect news visibility:
- datePublished and dateModified: Must be accurate. Manipulating dates to appear more recent violates Google’s policies and can result in removal from news surfaces.
- author: Named authors with dedicated profile pages signal editorial accountability.
- publisher: Consistent organization data across all articles.
News Sitemap Implementation
A dedicated news sitemap helps Google discover fresh content quickly. Unlike standard sitemaps, news sitemaps should only include articles published within the last 48 hours.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
xmlns:news="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-news/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/news/article-url</loc>
<news:news>
<news:publication>
<news:name>Publication Name</news:name>
<news:language>en</news:language>
</news:publication>
<news:publication_date>2025-01-15T08:00:00-06:00</news:publication_date>
<news:title>Article Headline</news:title>
</news:news>
</url>
</urlset>Submit news sitemaps through Google Search Console and reference them in your robots.txt file.
Content Standards That Signal News Authority
Technical compliance gets you eligible. Content quality determines whether you actually appear.
Timeliness and Original Reporting
Google’s news algorithms heavily weight content freshness for breaking stories. But timeliness alone isn’t enough. The algorithm also evaluates:
Original reporting: Articles that break news or add original information rank higher than rewrites of existing coverage. If you’re covering a story others have already reported, add unique angles, local context, or expert commentary.
Substantive updates: For ongoing stories, publish meaningful updates rather than trivial changes. Google can detect when modifications are cosmetic versus substantive.
Source attribution: Proper citation of original reporting sources builds trust signals. Aggregating without attribution looks like content scraping.
Author Expertise and Transparency
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) signals matter significantly for news content. Google’s quality rater guidelines specifically address news credibility.
Build author authority through:
- Dedicated author pages with bios, credentials, and article archives
- Consistent bylines using real names (not “Staff Writer” for every piece)
- Author schema markup connecting articles to author profiles
- External signals like author social profiles and industry recognition
For a Nashville digital marketing agency publishing industry news, having named analysts with documented expertise adds credibility that generic corporate bylines lack.
Editorial Policies and Corrections
Transparent editorial practices signal journalistic standards. Published policies should cover:
- Editorial independence and advertising separation
- Correction and update procedures
- Source verification standards
- Conflict of interest disclosures
When corrections are necessary, handle them professionally. Update the article with clear correction notices, adjust the dateModified in schema, but preserve the original datePublished.
Google Publisher Center Registration
While not strictly required for Top Stories visibility, Publisher Center registration provides benefits for serious news publishers.
What Publisher Center Offers
- Control over how your publication appears in Google News
- Access to news-specific performance reports
- Ability to organize content into sections
- Logo and branding customization for news surfaces
Registration Process
- Verify site ownership in Search Console
- Create Publisher Center account at publishercenter.google.com
- Submit publication information including name, description, and content categories
- Configure content feeds and section labels
- Wait for review (typically days to weeks)
Approval isn’t guaranteed. Google evaluates publications against their content policies, which prohibit hate speech, misinformation, deceptive practices, and various other content categories.
Common Mistakes That Block News Visibility
Several issues consistently prevent otherwise qualified content from appearing in news features.
Date Manipulation
Artificially updating publication dates to appear fresh is the most common disqualifying behavior. Google’s systems detect patterns like:
- Regularly updating dates without content changes
- Publishing dates that don’t match content timestamps
- Retroactive dating to predate competitors
The penalty isn’t just algorithmic. Manual reviewers can remove sites from news surfaces entirely for date manipulation.
Missing Bylines and Attribution
Anonymous content struggles in news rankings. Even if your organization has legitimate reasons for not naming authors (safety concerns, for instance), the algorithm disadvantages unattributed content.
If named bylines aren’t possible, at minimum use consistent pseudonyms with associated author pages that establish expertise and track records.
Slow Update Cycles
News content requires rapid publication capabilities. If your CMS workflow requires multiple approval stages that delay publication by hours, you’ll consistently lose to faster competitors on breaking stories.
This doesn’t mean abandoning editorial standards. It means building workflows that enable rapid publication while maintaining accuracy.
Mixing News with Evergreen Content
Sites that blend timely news with evergreen blog content can confuse Google’s classification systems. Consider structural separation:
- Dedicated /news/ subdirectory for timely content
- Clear distinction in navigation and internal linking
- Different schema types (NewsArticle vs. Article) based on content nature
AMP and News: The Current Reality
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) was once nearly required for Top Stories visibility. That changed in 2021 when Google opened the feature to non-AMP pages meeting Core Web Vitals standards.
Current recommendation: AMP is no longer necessary for news visibility, but fast-loading pages absolutely are. If your standard pages meet Core Web Vitals thresholds, AMP provides no additional ranking benefit for news features.
For publishers already using AMP, there’s no urgent reason to abandon it. But new publishers shouldn’t implement AMP solely for news SEO purposes.
Measuring News Performance
Track news-specific metrics separately from overall organic performance.
Google Search Console Insights
Search Console provides news-specific data under the Performance report. Filter by search appearance to isolate Top Stories impressions and clicks.
Key patterns to monitor:
- Which topics trigger Top Stories visibility
- Click-through rates from news features versus standard results
- Correlation between publication speed and news rankings
Real-Time Monitoring
For breaking news coverage, real-time analytics matter. Set up alerts for traffic spikes that indicate news feature visibility. Track competitor appearance in news results for stories you’re also covering.
Third-party rank tracking tools with SERP feature monitoring can show Top Stories appearance across your target queries.
Building Long-Term News Authority
Sustainable news visibility requires consistent quality over time, not just occasional optimization bursts.
Coverage Patterns
Establish predictable coverage areas where your publication develops recognized expertise. A business publication consistently covering Nashville’s tech industry will build topical authority that general news outlets lack for that specific beat.
Engagement Signals
While Google doesn’t confirm using engagement metrics as direct ranking factors, patterns suggest correlation. News content that generates comments, social sharing, and return visits tends to perform better over time.
Industry Recognition
External signals of news credibility include:
- Awards and journalism recognition
- Citations by other news outlets
- Inclusion in news aggregators and industry roundups
- Journalist appearances as expert sources
These signals don’t directly impact algorithms but contribute to the overall authority profile Google’s systems evaluate.
When Top Stories Isn’t the Right Goal
Not every publication should chase news visibility. The feature rewards certain content types while ignoring others.
Good fit for Top Stories: Breaking news, timely analysis, event coverage, policy updates, industry developments.
Poor fit for Top Stories: Evergreen guides, tutorials, reviews, opinion pieces, feature stories with no time peg.
If your content strategy centers on evergreen resources rather than timely news, optimize for standard organic rankings and other SERP features instead. Forcing a news angle onto naturally evergreen content typically produces worse results than committing to either approach.
Resources
- Google Publisher Center Help: https://support.google.com/news/publisher-center
- Google News Content Policies: https://support.google.com/news/publisher-center/answer/6204050
- NewsArticle Schema Documentation: https://schema.org/NewsArticle
- Google Search Central News Guidelines: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/google-news
News SERP features evolve frequently. Verify current requirements against Google’s official documentation, as policies and technical standards change.