How to Check If a Site Is on Google News: 3 Quick Ways

This guide shows you how to check if a site is on Google News in three quick ways, what “Google News approved” really means today, and how to use the answer when you are buying a guest post.

How do I know if a website is Google News approved?

You know a website appears in Google News when its recent articles show up in Google News search results or the News tab, because Google no longer runs a public list of approved sites. The practical test is whether its content is actually surfacing.

Many marketplace listings still say “Google News approved”. That phrase comes from an older process in which publishers applied for inclusion. Google’s current help page on news content across Google says publishers are automatically considered for Top stories and the News tab, and that they just need to produce high-quality content and comply with Google News content policies.

So when a seller says a site is approved, treat it as a claim to verify, not a fact. I check every site myself before I offer it as a Google News guest post, because the label alone proves nothing.

What are the 3 quick ways to check a site?

The three quickest ways are searching the Google News app or website, filtering Google Search to the News tab with a site: search, and checking Search Console if you have access. Each one tells you something slightly different.

1. Search news.google.com. Type the publication’s name or a recent headline from it. If its recent articles appear and open a source label with the site name, Google News is surfacing that content.
2. Use the News tab with a site: search. In Google Search, type site:example.com, then click the News tab. Recent dated articles from the domain suggest its content is treated as news content. Repeat with a topic word, for example site:example.com finance, to see if coverage is broad or limited to a few pages.
3. Open the Google News performance report. This works only for the site owner. Google’s help page calls the Google News performance report in Search Console the best way to determine whether a site has eligible content. Ask the publisher for a dated screenshot of it.

Run at least the first two checks. They take under two minutes, and they catch most sites that are sold as “approved” but no longer appear anywhere in news surfaces.

Is Google News approval still required?

No, according to Google’s current help pages there is no approval step to apply for; sites are considered automatically if they produce high-quality content and follow Google News policies. Being eligible also does not guarantee a site will appear or rank in Google News.

Two points from Google’s documentation matter when you evaluate a site. First, eligibility can be lost. The Google News policies say that repeated or egregious violations can make a site no longer eligible to appear on news surfaces. A site that appeared last year might not appear today.

Second, those policies say Google News does not allow content that conceals or misrepresents sponsored content as independent editorial content. That is directly relevant to guest posts. A news site that publishes paid articles without labelling them is taking a risk with its own news visibility.

Google’s help page also notes that blocking Googlebot-News excludes a site’s content from Google News. If a site shows no news results at all, a robots.txt rule could be one reason. You can test a URL against a robots.txt file with my free robots.txt tester.

Do Google News sites give better backlinks?

Google News sites do not get a special link rule, but they often give better placements because they tend to have editorial standards, fresh content and real readers. The value comes from those qualities, not from the label.

From my orders, a placement on an active news site usually brings more visibility than one on a generic blog with the same authority score. People read news sites, they share articles, and other journalists sometimes pick up stories. A sponsored article on such a site can also lead to brand searches.

The rules for paid links stay the same. If you pay for an article on a news site, the link should carry rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”, and reputable news publishers usually label it as sponsored or partner content anyway. If a seller promises unlabelled, followed links on a news site, take that as a warning sign rather than a bonus.

For a wider view of how news placements fit next to guest posts and mentions, see my off-page SEO services page, which covers PR and brand mentions as part of a balanced plan.

What else should you check besides Google News status?

Besides Google News status, check that the site covers topics close to yours, publishes regularly, names its journalists or authors and labels sponsored content. A site can appear in Google News and still be a poor fit for your brand.

• Publishing rhythm. A real news site publishes often. Long gaps between posts suggest a site that has stopped operating as a newsroom.
• Section fit. Your article should sit in a section that matches it, such as business, technology or health, not in a catch-all “partner” folder with hundreds of unrelated posts.
• Bylines and contact details. Google News policies ask for clear dates, bylines and information about the publisher. Missing details are a red flag.
• Sponsored archive. Look at past sponsored posts. If they cover casino, loans and supplements side by side, think twice.

The SEO glossary explains any terms here that are new to you.

What does a quick Google News check look like?

A check like this takes five minutes and protects you from paying extra for a label that no longer means anything. Combine it with the usual checks on relevance, traffic and editorial standards before you buy, and keep notes so you can recheck the same sites in a few months.

Frequently asked questions