Over 100k new daily Web Stories on Google
Web Stories appeal to creators and readers, to the point that over 20 million of these contents are already online, with 100,000 new stories added every day, published on 6,500 new domains since October 2020, when the format was highlighted on Google Discover. These are just some of the numbers and information revealed by Google on Web Stories, which certify the success of this initiative.
Google Web Stories, a growing success
“The goal of Web Stories is to allow publishers and creators to easily create and take full ownership of their content,” recalls Vamsee Jasti, Product Manager for this project, which he calls “surprising” the reception by publishers – especially in the United States, Brazil and India, as shown in the chart published in the article.
The numbers have grown especially since October 2020, following the decision to bring these stories to Discover so as to offer users “a custom stream of the best web stories on the Internet”.
5 insights to create engaging web stories
Millions of users see and interact with Web Stories every day also in Google Search, explains Jasti, precisely by virtue of the features of this content, which with its engaging and intuitive format allows “spectators to take a virtual snorkeling trip, try a new workout and prepare tasty desserts”.
But the creators of Web Stories ask for some more specific insights to intercept audiences, and Google then shares 5 general trends that have proven successful so far to optimize engagement and click history, that add to the advice already provided to improve the SEO for Web Stories.
- More engaging topics
The topics that create more engagement are those related to lifestyle, which surpass each other vertically and adapt well to the Web Stories format especially when they “contain aspirational images and practical information”, as well as relevant product partnership opportunities.
- A content with more impressions
The websites’ web stories in the vertical Art and Entertainment and Food and Drinks get the most impressions online, thanks to “a wide range of visually appealing topics”
Impressions are not always indicative of engagement, but rather represent a sign of which categories people search for more than others.
- Most requested content
Viewers are “hungry for new content of art and entertainment, celebrities and sports and games“, the article reveals. In addition, given the continued spread of “new versions of TV, movies and games, these vertical offer opportunities for growth“, even in the future.
- Ideal length of Web Stories
Google data reports that “there is no perfect page length for high quality stories”.
On average, however, users access 11-15 pages of a story, and this data “suggests that site owners should communicate the most important points of their message in the first 15 pages of a Web Story”.
- Popularity of Stories
In addition to the general numbers on the dissemination of the format, Vamsee Jasti also reveals that on Google Discover “users watch on average 1.7 Stories for each Open Story“, although the value may vary significantly depending on demographic data. Sign, this, that it is crucial to link other stories within the content, to maximize the reader’s session and keep it on its own domain.
