Google is confident that it can provide the most relevant information to Internet users. Thus far, the company is doing remarkably well: it developed Knowledge Graph to provide general answers to search queries fast; it’s getting better at reading and ranking photos; and it combs the Web to find the freshest content with Google Alerts.

One of the most exciting changes that happened as of late is the launch of its “In the news” box. This is a section at the top of the search result showing the most trending “news” about the term being searched. Yes, the word is enclosed with quotation marks because the box features the most talked about content of the moment.

Any Site Can Headline

The “In the news” space isn’t reserved for traditional news sites alone. As a matter of fact, you don’t necessarily need to match Google News guidelines and be part of its listing to be featured. Practically any type of content—a social media page, a blog, or a message board—can rule the box over a certain period.

New Way to Reach the Top Spot

This is a golden opportunity for marketers to make businesses rank high on the SERPs. Improving your organic rankings and investing in PPC are no longer just the way to sit on top of the food chain.

Virality is the key to win the “In the news” spot. It’s a big task to earn the rights to be hailed as Google’s most trending content, both theoretically and realistically, but it’s doable. It may require you to explore uncharted SEO territories, like Reddit, and seriously think outside the box in terms of your marketing strategy, but that’s a small price to pay to trend.

Iteration is Likely

The evolution of “News for” into “In the news” truly holds immense potential to bring pertinent information right in the searchers’ face, but it’s not without a sin. It still has flaws: for instance, the F-word might appear in this box even if the SafeSearch is on, making the results not suitable for the general audience. Knowing Google, it will definitely do something about it sooner than later.

The “In the news” box may be created to deliver trending content for users, but no one can deny its benefits marketing-wise.

Keep visiting for more great news about Google updates and their impact on digital marketing. If you’re not yet our partner, talk to our account manager today to get you started.

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