Not Showing on Google News? 7 Reasons & Fixes for Kenyan Publishers

Hey, Kenyan content creators and publishers! 👋

You’ve put in the work. You’re publishing consistent, high-quality news and articles relevant to your audience in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and beyond. You’ve even applied to the Google News Publisher Center, but there’s a problem: your website is not showing Google News results.

You check, you refresh, but your content is nowhere to be found. It’s frustrating, right? You’re missing out on a massive stream of targeted traffic and credibility.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. This is a common hurdle for many publishers. The key is understanding that Google News has a specific set of rules—a recipe for success that your site might be missing an ingredient from.

Let’s diagnose the problem. Here are the 7 most common reasons your website is not showing in the Google News section and, most importantly, how you can fix them.

1. You’re Not Actually Approved Yet (Or You Were Rejected)

This is the most fundamental point. Applying through the Google Publisher Center does not guarantee immediate inclusion. Google’s team reviews each application manually, and this can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

• The Problem: You assume application equals inclusion.
• The Fix:
  • Check your Publisher Center account. Log in and look for a status message. It will typically say “Pending,” “Approved,” or “Disapproved.”
  • Check your email. Google will send a notification to the email associated with your Google Account once a decision is made. Check your spam folder too!
  • If rejected, they will usually provide a reason (e.g., “Not enough original content”). Address that reason specifically before reapplying.

2. Your Content Lays Originality and Authority

Google News prioritizes original reporting, not aggregated or rewritten content from other sources. They want to be the first to break news, not the last to repeat it.

• The Problem: Your site primarily publishes press releases, syndicated content, or lightly edited versions of stories from other major outlets.
• The Fix:
  • Focus on original journalism. Conduct interviews, cover local events in your county, offer unique expert opinions, and provide analysis that can’t be found elsewhere.
  • Establish author expertise. Use bylines and implement Author Schema Markup. This tells Google who wrote the article and their credentials, building trust and authority (a concept known as E-E-A-T).

3. Technical SEO and Site Structure Issues

Google News crawls websites differently than the main search index. It’s faster and requires a clean, error-free technical setup.

• The Problem: Your site has crawl errors, slow loading speeds, or isn’t mobile-friendly.
• The Fix:
  • Improve Site Speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix. Compress images, leverage browser caching, and consider a better hosting provider. A slow site is a rejected site.
  • Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: Over half of all web traffic in Kenya is mobile. Your site must provide an excellent experience on smartphones. Test it with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
  • Fix Crawl Errors: Use Google Search Console to identify and fix any 404 (not found) or 5xx (server) errors.
  • Clear Site Structure: Have a dedicated, easy-to-find “News” or “Blog” section with a clean URL structure (e.g., yourwebsite.co.ke/news/).

4. Non-Compliant Website Design

This includes overly aggressive ads, misleading links, and missing pages.

• The Problem: Pop-up ads that are difficult to dismiss, missing contact pages, or unclear ownership.
• The Fix:
  • Review Google’s Publisher Policies. This is crucial! Ensure your ads are not intrusive.
  • Have a clear “About Us” and “Contact Page.” This transparency builds trust with both users and Google.
  • Avoid any “black hat” SEO tactics like hidden text or keyword stuffing.

5. Improper Article Formatting and Markup

Google’s bots need to easily understand your content. If your articles are poorly formatted, you make their job harder.

• The Problem: Articles are published as PDFs, have unclear publishing dates, or missing headlines.
• The Fix:
  • Publish articles in HTML, never PDF.
  • Use clear, unique headlines (<h1> tags) for every article.
  • Display the article’s publication date and author prominently at the top of the content.
  • Implement Schema.org markup (specifically Article schema). This is a powerful way to tell search engines exactly what your content is about, who wrote it, and when it was published.

6. You’re Not Publishing Frequently or Consistently Enough

Google News favors sites that are active and relevant. A site that posts one article every two weeks may be seen as not being a serious news source.

• The Problem: Inconsistent publishing schedule.
• The Fix:
  • Create a sustainable content calendar. It’s better to publish two high-quality articles per week consistently than ten articles in one day and then go silent for a month.
  • Cover timely topics. Show Google that you are a source for current information.

7. You’re Covering Restricted or Low-Quality Topics

Google has strict policies against certain types of content.

• The Problem: Your content includes hate speech, promotes violence or is primarily adult content.
• The Fix:
  • Review Google’s content policies thoroughly. Ensure your content is not only original but also aligns with their guidelines for quality and safety.
  • Focus on adding value. Your content should inform, educate, or entertain constructively.

Final Thoughts for Kenyan Publishers

Getting your website to show up on Google News isn’t an overnight miracle. It’s a marathon that requires patience, a focus on quality, and technical diligence. Treat your application not as a single task, but as an ongoing commitment to becoming a reputable, authoritative news source for your audience.

Start by auditing your site against these seven points. Make the necessary changes, be patient with the review process, and continue to produce the fantastic content that makes the Kenyan digital space so vibrant.

Have you faced this challenge before? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below! Let’s learn from each other.

For further reading, check out Google’s own guidelines:
Google News Publisher Help