You may have noticed that your favourite social media platforms are jumping on the story bandwagon in recent years. You can tap your screen multiple times and enjoy an immersive story experience that entertains and informs at the same time.
Google is no different. In 2018, they announced the release of AMP Stories, which were powered by AMP technology. However, in 2020, they rebranded AMP Stories as Web Stories. Now, many innovative companies are incorporating them into their everyday marketing.
If after reading this article you are still not sure what Web Stories are, then consider attending our SEO courses.
What Are Google Web Stories?
If you’ve got something important to say and you want to shout it from the rooftops, Google Web Stories are how you can do it. Google describes them as being “visual stories that feel like yours, because they are”. Essentially, they are full-screen experiences that offer complete immersion for customers and viewers.
Each panel of a Google Web Story can include videos, graphics, and other fun features that allow you to create a story that is unique to your business.
Unlike Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms, Google Web stories are also not limited to Google as a platform. Instead, you can host them on your own website.
You can also incorporate calls to action, Google AdWords, and even links to provide your customers with everything they need to take action during and after they have seen your story.
How to Create Your Own Google Web Stories
The last decade has been an exciting time for new marketing techniques. We’ve learned about the importance of having websites, using best SEO practices, and being present on social media. Therefore, it’s only natural that you’ll be looking at your options surrounding Google Web Stories.
As you may know, planning makes perfect. Before you jump right into creating your story, plan it out first. Remember, these stories consist of multiple panels with graphics, links, videos, and CTAs. By planning how you want your story to look, you can streamline the process for your web story creation.
Having a coding engineer in your marketing team is going to put you on the path to success with your Google Web Stories. They can build your story from scratch while making it unique to your business.
However, even if you do not have a coding engineer to help with this code-dense marketing technique, you’re not without choices. Below, we will run through a few ideal Google Web Stories creator tools.
WordPress Plugin
WordPress is the most popular content management system globally, with around 75 million websites using it to produce standout website designs. With so many people using this CMS, it’s not out of the question for WordPress to offer a plug-in to assist with your Google Web Stories.
This plug-in is an editor within your WordPress platform that allows you to utilise page templates without having to design them from scratch yourself. You can also gain access to WP’s media library and customise the colours and text styles of your story.
Make Stories
Almost as popular as the WordPress plug-in is Make Stories. This is a code-free piece of software with easy-to-use drag and drop features to create a unique Google Web Story. There are dozens of different elements to use and full support for a variety of platforms like WordPress, widget embedding, and more.
Newsroom AI
Newsroom AI is a free and paid site that offers a multitude of different features to help you create an exciting Google Web Story. You can sign up with your Google account, create a story, then view reports to see how well it is doing. The more familiar you become with Google Web Stories, the easier it can become to create stories that convert.
Why Use Google Web Stories in 2021?
Google is always coming up with exciting and innovative features for small businesses and large corporations to take advantage of. Some of them may suit your needs, and some of them may not.
So, why is Google Web Stories turning out to be a must-have marketing tool in any business’s toolbox? There are many reasons why this feature can be worth a closer look.
Another Way to Drive Traffic To Your Site
You’ve got social media. You’ve got Google AdWords, and you’re starting to appear in Google search images. Google Web Stories is yet another way you can drive traffic to your website. There is no harm in making sure that more customers than ever before can access your products and services on the internet.
What’s more, because you can make Google Web Stories and Google AdWords work in harmony, you’re able to get more bang for your SEO buck.
Viewers Love Them
As a viewer yourself, which would you rather see: A webpage full of text with no graphics – or short and snappy graphic panels with all the information you need being displayed in a fun and innovative way? We know what we’d choose…
You can still get your message across to your customers, but you are using Google Web Stories to make sure it’s a fun, immersive, and relatable way.
The Content is Yours
When you create stories on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, you are using their tools to do so. In many situations, you can’t use that content anywhere else – unless the two platforms are linked through their ownership by the same company.
With Google Web Stories, the content you create is yours to do with as you please. You have created it yourself through a third-party tool (like those mentioned above), which means you can put them anywhere with compatibility.
How Do You Find Google Web Stories?
Before learning about the benefits of Google Web Stories for your own business, you may be racking your brain trying to remember where you had seen them before. As it turns out, these stories can turn up in several places – and in a multitude of different ways.
You might have seen them appear as a unique result after searching for something in particular in the Google search engine. In the USA, people also see visual stories appearing in a grid view and carousel. These features may end up here before long.
Web stories also feature in Google Images, so be on the lookout while you’re planning your next exciting web story.
What Do I Do Next?
Google Web Stories are an exciting marketing technique that many businesses in Aotearoa can see the value in. However, like any new feature, they can take time to learn.
Fortunately, there are plenty of online tools available to assist with the Google Web Stories creative process. You can also contact marketing companies to help with making sure your web stories are on the right track and being seen by the right people.
FAQs
How can Google Web Stories help drive traffic to my website?
Google Web Stories can help drive traffic to your website by providing an engaging and immersive storytelling experience that attracts usersand encourages them to click through to your website for more information or to take action.
Can Google Web Stories be optimised for SEO?
Yes, Google Web Stories can be optimised for SEO by using relevant keywords, meta tags, descriptive titles, and optimising the contentwithin the story panels.
