Microsoft has announced the launch of PubHub, a new component of Bing Webmaster Tools that will assist news publishers in significantly expanding their reach and attracting more readers.
News Publishers’ PubHub
PubHub is a new way for all news publishers, no matter how large or small, to significantly increase their readership. The only requirement is that the publisher is already a member of Bing Webmaster Tools.
PubHub’s goal is to help high-quality news sites be discovered by millions of new readers by exposing their content at various points where an audience might be interested in consuming news content.
According to the press release:
“Bing helps you get in front of millions of people using Windows 10/11 and Outlook through Outlook News Connector.
News is also available inside the Bing search app on both iOS and Android.
As a publisher, when you submit your content through the Bing Publisher Network, you are expanding your reach significantly, giving your stories and outlets even greater exposure.”
It’s simple to join PubHub. Simply sign up for Bing News PubHub after logging into Bing Webmaster Tools and verifying your news site.
Which News Sites Will Be Accepted?
Bing outlined four characteristics they seek in a news site to feature on PubHub.
The emphasis is on on-site quality, user experience, and promoting exceptional sites.
Sites that want to attract millions of users should concentrate on providing objectively the best content.
Bing lists four qualifying criteria for news websites:
- Newsworthiness
- Originality
- Authority
- Readability
Newsworthiness
According to Bing, qualifying news sites must cover actual news events and topics of interest. Topics such as advice columns, how-to guides, weather forecasts, and stock market data do not qualify.
Bing also mentions that content promoting a product will not qualify.
Originality
When multiple organizations report the same thing, Bing believes that originality, such as facts, analysis, and points of view, is essential.
Authority
Citations to sources and detailed attribution, including author information, are required for Authority News content.
Readability
Bing expects sites to be free of intrusive advertising and to use proper grammar and spelling.
New Chance to Increase Readership
The new PubHub offers an opportunity for publishers who put the effort into creating quality reporting to be rewarded with more readers.
This is a win-win-win situation for Bing because it makes it more useful, for high-quality publishers because they will be rewarded for their efforts, and for content consumers because they will be exposed to more high-quality journalism.
