We have recently been doing some research on the subject of getting a blog indexed by Google news. After reading many blogs and forums, the following is a summary of the factors which are thought to increase the chances of inclusion.

Content

• Should be completely original and added on a regular basis (ideally at least 3 times a day).
• Should be attributed to at least 5 authors (the more the better).
• Should be linked to from other, relevant sites.
• The blog should have an archive of content (several hundred posts).
• The blog should have a clearly defined theme, e.g. ‘fashion’. This should be displayed on the homepage.

Posts

Should be at least 200 words in length.

Should include:

• Title (no more than 25 words).
• Targeted keywords.
• Author name.
• Date of publication.

Heading, author, date and keywords

Should be regularly commented on by users.

URLs

Each post should have a unique, static URL, with a unique number consisting of at least five digits.

URL structure

Should be included in an XML sitemap, regularly submitted to Google Webmaster Tools.

Should be directly submitted to Google News.

Pages

Blogs should have the following pages:

A detailed profile for each author;

• About us – With background company information.
• Terms and conditions.
• Privacy policy.
• Contact.