Google Publisher Center Update: Ending Manual Publication Additions
Google has announced a significant update to its Publisher Center policy that will affect how publications are added to its ecosystem. Starting later this year, the tech giant will discontinue manually allowing publishers to add publications to the Google Publisher Center. Instead, Google will automatically include eligible publications, streamlining the process and aiming to reduce confusion about Google News inclusion.
This change marks another shift in Google’s approach to managing news content, which has seen various adjustments since the major overhaul in 2019. Since December of that year, content has been automatically considered for inclusion in Google News and other news surfaces without publishers needing to apply manually.
The Publisher Center previously allowed publishers to create source pages manually. However, this feature did not guarantee content consideration for Google News, leading to misunderstandings among publishers. Many assumed creating a source page meant automatic inclusion in Google News, but this was not the case.
Google’s latest move seeks to clarify these misunderstandings by eliminating the manual process. The intention is to make it easier for all content to be considered without publisher intervention. This automatic process is particularly beneficial for smaller sites that might not know the need to apply for inclusion.
As Google transitions to this new system, the impact on publishers is yet to be seen. The move is expected to simplify operations for many, though it underscores the importance of making content that meets Google’s eligibility criteria for automatic inclusion.
