Google Will Soon Be Sending New Readers Directly to Publishers’ Websites

Google has confirmed that users of the Google News app will soon be channelled directly to publishers’ own pages rather than AMP pages. The update was confirmed by Google in an e-mail to publishers confirming that AMP pages will still be used in Google News, but that non-AMP web content will also be incorporated.        

“As part of [the page experience] update, in the coming weeks the Google News app will improve its support for web content, displaying both AMP and non-AMP web content with more regularity from sites worldwide. No action is required of you to enable this,” reads an extract of the e-mail from Google.

The update was first announced earlier in the year and was scheduled to begin rolling out in the late spring. However, its completion was delayed until the end of August, with no further updates or information from Google during this transition period.

Only now has Google decided to begin contacting publishers, informing them of the inclusion of non-AMP web content in Google News.

AMP No Longer a Requirement for Publishers

Prior to the shift in policy, the AMP framework was a prerequisite for publishers to get their content featured in Google News; attracting millions of readers from around the world on a 24/7 basis, Google News has the potential to be a huge driver of traffic and a highly lucrative marketing platform for news sites.

With the AMP requirements having been removed, more publishers may now find themselves able to generate traffic and boost readership via Google News.

Google also confirmed that it will stop rendering article text provided via RSS feeds, instead confirming “we’ll send readers directly to publishers’ web pages.”

The company also advised publishers that there will be no alterations to tracking and measuring traffic:

“You will still be able to track and measure all of your Google News traffic through your web site’s existing analytics tracking. Google News performance reports in Search Console will also be unaffected,” they said.

Google’s decision could prove to be significant for countless publishers worldwide, who until now may have found the AMP requirement a major obstacle. Many smaller publishers and outlets in particular could now have the opportunity to get their content featured in Google News and enjoy a major organic traffic boost as a result.