News-oriented sitemaps

News Sitemaps: A Guide for Publishers

News sitemaps provide a direct line of communication between news publishers and Google News. By leveraging news sitemaps, publishers can ensure their content is swiftly discovered and accurately represented in Google News.

This document outlines best practices for creating and maintaining news sitemaps, enabling publishers to optimize their content's visibility and reach a wider audience.

Two Approaches to News Sitemaps

Publishers have two primary options for incorporating news sitemaps into their websites:

1. Extension Method: Integrate news-specific tags into an existing sitemap. This method is suitable for publishers with a limited volume of news content.

2. Dedicated Sitemap: Create a separate sitemap file exclusively for news articles. This approach facilitates better tracking and analysis of news content performance within Google Search Console, making it ideal for publishers with a dedicated news section or a high volume of news articles.

Both options are equally valid in the eyes of Google News; the choice depends on individual publisher needs and website structure.

Best Practices for News Sitemaps

While news sitemaps share similarities with standard sitemaps, adhering to these specific best practices is crucial for optimal performance:

1. Embrace General Sitemap Guidelines: News sitemaps adhere to the same foundational principles as standard sitemaps. Familiarize yourself with the [general sitemap best practices](link to Google's general sitemap best practices) to ensure a strong foundation.

2. Prioritize Freshness with Frequent Updates: Google News thrives on fresh content. Update your news sitemap as soon as new articles are published. There's no need to generate a new sitemap file with each update; simply add the new article URLs. Google News regularly crawls news sitemaps, ensuring timely discovery of new content.

3. Maintain a 48-Hour Timeframe: Include only URLs for articles published within the last two days. Once an article surpasses this timeframe, remove its URL from the news sitemap. Alternatively, you can remove the <news:news> tag associated with the article, retaining its presence in the broader sitemap while excluding it from Google News.

4. Illustrative Example: Let's imagine a website publishing articles about sustainable living. Here's how their news sitemap structure might look:

   <?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://www.example.com/latest-news/solar-panel-innovations</loc>
       <news:news>
         <news:publication>
           <news:name>EcoLiving Today</news:name>
           <news:language>en</news:language>
         </news:publication>
         <news:publication_date>2023-10-26T15:00:00+00:00</news:publication_date>
         <news:title>Groundbreaking Solar Panel Innovations Set to Revolutionize Green Energy</news:title>
       </news:news>
     </url>
     <url>
       <loc>https://www.example.com/latest-news/urban-gardening-tips</loc>
       <news:news>
         <news:publication>
           <news:name>EcoLiving Today</news:name>
           <news:language>en</news:language>
         </news:publication>
         <news:publication_date>2023-10-26T10:30:00+00:00</news:publication_date>
         <news:title>Thriving in the Concrete Jungle: Expert Tips for Urban Gardening</news:title>
       </news:news>
     </url>
   </urlset>

By adhering to these guidelines and understanding the nuances of news sitemaps, publishers can significantly enhance their content's visibility and reach within Google News.