Google Web Stories Plugin – Can it Bring More New Traffic?

[Originally published in July 2020] Stories are part of every social networking site these days. From Instagram to WhatsApp, we can see beautiful stories everywhere. Google thinks of it one step ahead with Google Web Stories for WordPress.

Google announced a new WordPress plugin that will help you create web stories, ensuring better engagement with your audiences.

Google’s fresh take on web stories will be helpful to rank better on Google Searches, Google Images, and even Discover page. The Google Stories plugin is completely free and open-source, which means anyone including you can use it.      

What is Google Web Stories for WordPress?

If you’re a webhead, you must’ve known about Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) feature. Google Web Stories is going to be a much customized and innovative version of AMP.

Web Stories will be no more than 10 words. The size of a web story is recommended from four to thirty pages.

As Google Web Stories is a Google product, there’s a chance of making money off it. Monetizing Web Stories with affiliate links, Google Ad Manager, and Google DV360 (Beta) is possible for now. More options would be available soon.

The main consumers of Google Web Stories are going to be mobile users. As Google describes, these web stories are typical content for users on a subway or having lunch.

Why use Google Web Stories?

As we already understand, the internet is growing around stories. These are like trends and must-to-have for every platform. Web Stories are informative and appealing. So not having them on your site isn’t a good idea either.

Mobile devices users are familiar with stories. So it’s understandable that they are going to love them on websites too. This will help to drive a whole amount of traffic on websites.         

Google Web Story – WordPress Plugin

The main idea behind publishing this plugin is to create a new format for publishers to reach more audiences and having better interaction on their site.

The plugin is still in beta progress. It’s expected that the final version of Google Web Stories WordPress plugin will be available later this summer, 2020. There is no animation and page attachment support on the beta version of Google Web Stories WordPress plugin. All features and functionalities will be available with the final version. It’s gonna be bug-free and more stable then.      

Check out Google’s Overview on Web Stories plugin.   

Purpose of Google Web Stories

The purpose of Google Web Storiers to provide more easily digestible content to your consumers. Google described it as Snackable content.

Videos on Web Stories will not be longer than 15 seconds and subtitle is must to have there. Besides, Google is encouraging publishers to publish portrait videos only. As these videos will be viewed in full-screen mobile devices, it’s no wonder why landscape videos will not work here.

Bonus: Best WordPress Plugins to Increase User Engagement

Subtitles are essential for Web Stories. As we’ve already known, these are more subway or train passengers’ content, audiences should be able to understand the content even in loud and noisy places.

The minimum size of the font, determined by Google is 24 and shouldn’t be longer than 200 characters. Long-form content can be linked via attachment. This is a welcoming feature. Using this feature, publishers would be able to drive consumers to certain target easily, but convincingly.                      

Conclusion

The Google Web Stories is still under beta testing. That means there are bugs around the plugin. Though you want to feed your audience some fresh butter, it’s a recommending one to implement on your site. 

However, you can always head over to Google Developer Support Page for Google Web Stories.