How can journalists ensure that their stories are easily found by readers online and are top on search engines, Shehu Olayinka, Multimedia and Social Manager offers some tips
Searchable links are links that appear online beneath the main URL of a story when there is a search on it on search engines.
To always have a searchable link online, the website your story is published needs to be indexed on search engines, have proper Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and also understand social media management and engagement.
Apart from remaining relevant on search engines, social media search engines are also very important when trying to make a story relevant online.
Before delving into how social media platforms influence help with searchable links, he is a brief explanation about what SEO is.
What is SEO, and how does it works?
Search engine optimisation (SEO) according to Wikipedia improves the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines.
It considers how search engines work and dictates search engine behaviour.
SEO deals with what people search for, the actual search terms or keywords typed into search engines, and their targeted audience prefers which search engines.
SEO is performed because a website will receive more visitors from a search engine when websites rank higher on the search engine results page (SERP). If a website has been properly indexed and SEO is correctly done, its appearance will be higher online.
Google or any other search engines will send a website and its stories appearing on top whenever a search is done or a related topic.
The more your story is read, the more its link remains relevant online.
Suppose a website has been indexed by Google and other search engines; by default, search engines index discovers the website and stories published on the site, thereby creating a searchable link that exposes the website’s story online.
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A newly indexed website may take 4-6 weeks or more for search engines to revisit your site and discover new content.
Another vital aspect to keep your story searchable is to make your content is relevant.
Ensure your content includes the search terms you think people will use, including your name, profile etc. Update your site and profile often. Sites that are kept up to date also rank higher in search results.
Your Social media handles also influence your SEO rank.
Your use of social media also boosts your search as Social Media Channels are also search engines.
People nowadays don’t just go to Google and other search engines to look for stories; they also use social media channels to find stories they’re looking for.
Using Twitter as an example, Twitter is known as a breaking news platform. It is seen as the first place to get any news story.
If you’re active on Twitter, people may discover your story on the platform after searching for stories-related tweets with Twitter’s search engine or using Twitter trends.
The same applies to Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
