The short answer is yes, but with an important condition: Google News optimization only helps if your site actually publishes news. For most businesses, it does not apply, and a good SEO company will tell you that before taking the work.
How Google News inclusion works now
There is no application form or approval queue for Google News. Publishers are automatically considered for the News tab and for the Top Stories carousel that appears in regular Google Search results. Google crawls the web, identifies content it judges to be news, and surfaces it through machine learning rather than a manual review process.
Google Publisher Center still exists, but using it is optional. It lets a publisher manage how its publication appears and configure monetization. It does not grant access and does not change whether your content is eligible. Eligibility comes down to whether you produce news content that meets Google’s editorial, technical, and policy standards.
What “news” means here
This is the part that disqualifies most businesses. Google News is built around timely reporting on recent events. Evergreen content such as “how to” guides, “10 tips” listicles, service pages, and product descriptions is not news, regardless of how well written it is. To be treated as a news source, a site generally needs to be focused on news as its core purpose, not carry a news section bolted onto a commercial site.
A consistent publishing cadence also matters. News surfaces favor sites that publish original, current articles regularly. A blog updated once a month is not going to register as a news publication.
The technical and content requirements
If your site genuinely publishes news, an SEO company can help with several concrete things:
Each article needs its own permanent, unique URL. Pages that show multiple articles under one URL, or that change article URLs after publication, will not be indexed properly for news.
Article links on section and homepage pages should be plain HTML links. Googlebot-News does not reliably follow links embedded in JavaScript or image-only links.
Structured data such as NewsArticle or Article schema, an accurate and current sitemap, fast page loads, and clean crawlability all help Google understand and index articles quickly. Speed of indexing matters more for news than for ordinary SEO, because the Top Stories window is short.
On the content side, articles must be original, accurate, clearly dated, and follow Google’s content and spam policies. Sponsored material has to be clearly labeled and not disguised as editorial reporting.
The Top Stories surface
Top Stories is the box of news results that can appear at the top of a Search results page for queries Google considers newsworthy. There is no setting that puts you there. Inclusion depends on relevance to the query, the timeliness of the article, and Google’s assessment of the source’s trustworthiness. An SEO company can improve the technical foundation and content quality that make Top Stories possible, but it cannot guarantee placement, and anyone who promises a specific spot is overstating what is in their control.
Who this is actually relevant for
Google News optimization is worth pursuing if you run a publication: a local or trade news outlet, an industry magazine, or a media brand whose business is publishing original reporting. For those organizations, an SEO company experienced in news SEO can make a real difference in indexing speed and visibility.
For a typical service business, retailer, or professional firm, it is not the right goal. Your content is not news, so it will not appear in Google News no matter how the site is optimized. Effort is better spent on standard organic search, local SEO, and content that answers customer questions.
An honest SEO company will start by asking whether you are a publisher. If you are, they can help with the technical and editorial work above. If you are not, the responsible answer is to focus your budget where it can actually move results.