What are Google Web Stories? A Guide for Digital Marketers
Attention to all the creators, Google has launched its web stories that could be useful for you. Today’s artists may develop digital content, foster community, and make money using a variety of tools and platforms. As Google has come up with its version of web stories it may be useful for the artists to be in the limelight.
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Stories act as a medium to help people connect. People love to watch stories unfold, which is why tappable story experiences are so popular these days. Google has created tappable story experiences called Google Web Stories.
What are Google Web Stories?
Google web stories are visually rich full-screen content for the internet, powered by AMP technology. Google owns and controls its web stories.
Web stories give your readers full-screen, quick-loading experiences. It is created to provide visually compelling stories with simple animations and tappable interactions. Everyone can test out the web story format, formerly known as AMP Stories, on their websites for free and as an open web standard. They can be shared and embedded all across the web without being restricted to a closed ecosystem or platform.
There are three components to a google web story: a poster, a cover page, and narrative pages.
The package is what google refers to as the poster because it is the first thing someone sees while visiting your story. Your cover page is the first page of the content of your story. Narrative pages are where you start telling your story and narrating with video, text, and your preferred assets.
Benefits of Using Google Web Stories
Let’s discuss some of the advantages web stories may have for your company and why they might be superior to some of the social networking alternatives if you’re still on the fence about using them.
1. A fresh approach to discovering your website
The possibility for google web stories to be visible in google search results pages or google pictures is a strong incentive to take into consideration generating them due to google’s potent search engine capabilities. It’s another way to improve your SEO strategy. Furthermore, you may include links or CTAs that direct visitors to your site because Google Web Stories are so configurable.
2. Ownership of content
The main distinction between google web stories and competing for social media platforms is content ownership. You have the right to do whatever you want with the material because you developed it using AMP or a third-party platform.
You can share it however you wish or embed it on your website. Consider your intended use of web stories as well as how readers will discover yours. This may influence your artistic decisions as well. There are a plethora of solutions available to you.
3. Immersive experiences
Google Web Stories may give your website a new depth, whether you’ve been seeking a method to spice up your blogging, tell a narrative on it, or just appreciate the way a full-screen experience looks.
Full-screen web stories by google can be seen by desktop and mobile users, reducing descriptions and enhancing the sense of immersion.
4. Audience enjoys it
Americans use their mobile devices for five hours a day on average. People enjoy skimming over interesting topics.
Finding your speciality and sharing captivating, engaging stories can help you stand out from the noise and clutter of the internet and draw in new viewers.
5. Making them can be enjoyable
Even if it might not be the case for everyone, many authors might find the process of making web stories fun. The many tools we previously covered feature drag-and-drop functions, which make the designing process straightforward for many people. You might discover that you’re always coming up with fresh story concepts and exciting methods to present them.
6. Novel advertising options
You should be aware that Google Web Stories can be combined with Google AdWords and other ad options. We shall get into this more in a moment. This might be a smart choice for some firms due to its strong SEO connection.
Usage of Google Web Stories-
Through web stories, you may host immersive full-screen experiences on your website. What distinguishes web stories from other story experiences, such as Instagram or Facebook stories, is the capability to upload them on your website.
Your web stories can also contain calls to action, links, and Google Adwords. You can share brand tales with consumers who can click through to experience the story you want to tell by using individual story panels that include images, videos, and other elements.
People can enjoy web stories in addition to seeing them on your website by using Google search, Google pictures, or the Google Discover app on Android and iOS devices.
The full potential to take advantage of SEO benefits and use this immersive storytelling option is yours if you own your web stories material.
Content creators can present news and information as visually appealing, tap-through stories using web stories, a mobile-focused format. With the help of immersive experiences, web stories provide advertisers and publishers with a wide range of advertising chances to connect with a niche online audience.
For example:
1. Vice-The Burger Sisters of Kenya
Two sisters who run a well-known burger food truck in Kenya are the subject of the web story: “The Burger Sisters of Kenya.” This story is a terrific source of inspiration since it has high-quality video and imagery, a first-person narrative that reads like a conversation, and it considers accessibility with captions and audio transcriptions.
2. 5 Destinations to see Wildlife With your Kids- The Lonely Planet
Not every story requires elaborate animations, drawings, or even video. Selecting a traditional typeface style is sufficient in some situations so that the content can breathe and speak for itself. This Lonely Planet article beautifully illustrates this point by engrossing the reader with simply light animations in the style of Ken Burns on photographs.
How to Create a Google Web Story?
Consider your brand’s image before you start your first Google Web Story. What tales ought you to tell? Utilizing the persuasiveness of stories may be a fun way to get people interested in your company and what you have to say.
- Never forget to storyboard your story in advance, whether on a whiteboard or the back of a napkin.
- Determine how many panels you require and sketch out your idea.
- Which images or videos should be displayed on each panel? Recall your CTA and advertisements.
The actual process of writing your Google Web Stories can now begin.
Google stories contain a lot of code. A coding engineer on your team might be able to write the story for you, but they must be knowledgeable about and at ease using the AMP framework. AMP does have a ton of documentation to help creators if you want to go along that path.
Web Stories can be indexed and surfaced in pertinent results because they are individual pages on your website. You can showcase them on your website as independent pieces of content or embed them like podcasts or YouTube videos.
Tools to Create Google Web Stories
1. WordPress Plug-in
If you have WordPress, you can use the web stories plugin that you can install on your WordPress website.
You can quickly develop and publish Web Stories on your WordPress site with the help of the Google-created Web Stories for WordPress plugin.
Utilizing the WordPress CMS, this plug-in enables you to create Google Web Stories.
The WordPress media library is accessible to your Google Web Stories since it is integrated with your website. The plug-in allows you to post your narrative directly to your website and offers drag-and-drop construction.
The features of the editor are; Templates, a drag-and-drop builder, a section for uniquely branded pieces, and the ability to import pre-existing materials from your WordPress Media Library.
2. Newsroom AI
With a tonne of tools at your disposal, Newsroom AI enables you to start making Google Web Stories for free. You may start spreading your tales on Google even with the free version by embedding stories on your website. Through the analytics reporting option, you can monitor how well your stories are performing.
It is simple to create. Just click “Create Story” after creating an account with your Google account.
3. Make Stories
Make Stories has features that are simple to use, much like the previous two choices. They employ a drag-and-drop interface and provide a library of free photos, icons, symbols, and more. To help you get started, they also have templates.
They integrate with WordPress, but you may also export each tale as a zip file, publish it to your website’s FTP, and use HTML embed tools like an iframe. This one might be the simpler choice if you only want to take a quick look around before jumping in if you only want to do a little exploring.
To Conclude
Google web stories have become the talk of the town as most brands have compelling narratives. The story structure has advantages on Google that are comparable to those it would have on your other platforms, so it is something to think about.
You may improve your online reputation and win clients’ confidence by using web stories to share your stories with your followers. Your videos can cover anything, from the culture of your business to the introduction of new products. Various plug-ins can assist you in creating Google Web Stories, even though writing the code to do so is challenging.
If you’re prepared to use the feature, follow the steps on this list
