le launches new topic authorities system to better surface content for news //
Google launched a new system called “topic authority” that helps surface expert and knowledgeable content on Google Search and Google News. Google stated that this “helps to determine which expert resources are helpful for someone’s newsy queries in certain specialized topics, such as finance, health, politics or politics.”
How it works. Google explained that it uses a topic authority system to determine the level of expertise in a particular area. They include, but are not restricted to:
- Google understands now if a publication is “particularly relevant to topics or places.” For instance, this website should be highly relevant for topics related to search marketing.
- Google can tell if a report is original and influential by analyzing links, citations, and other factors.
- Google also looks at the quality of reporting and the opinions of experts to determine the reputation of a publication.
Example. Google provided this example: “There was a flooding where you lived,” Google wrote. The topic authority signal allows us to identify publications that cover local topics regularly in your town or city and place them at the top of search results. Google said that these are likely trusted local publications, even if larger national outlets are also covering the flood.
Practicality. Google says this will help to surface original content from news teams who are “intimately” familiar with the topic and location. Local news publications, then, should appear more frequently for queries related their local area. Publishers who have a particular expertise in their field should appear for queries.
Optimization. What can you do to increase your topic authority? Google says to do as you usually would. Google said to “provide excellent coverage on the topics and areas they are familiar with.”
Why we care. If you do everything right, Google should reward your content with more traffic and visibility from Google News and Google Search.
Google said that this should all be aligned with its guidelines around useful content.
The original post Google launches a new topic authority system for better surfacing news content was published on Search Engine Land.