Journalists 'should apply SEO to news stories'

Journalists would do well to use search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques when publishing stories online, according to one expert.

Monica Wright, an online marketing specialist, wrote on Search Engine Journal that journalists should concentrate on filling meta title and description tags with the right content and creating engaging headlines that are likely to draw traffic from search results pages.

It is also a good idea to refer to Google's own guidelines on how news pages can qualify for inclusion in Google News results, particularly as these contain information on URL structure, Ms Wright explained.

"Above all - good writing still prevails. Quality, relevant, in-depth content will not only attract the bots, but will capture new audience as well," she stated.

A number of newspapers in the UK are getting journalists to apply SEO to their own online news stories.

The Times Online's Anne Spackman told a conference last year that training is offered by the newspaper to writers on how to make their stories search engine-friendly.