Back in October 2016, Google announced that it was going to be testing a “fact check” tag on the articles that it delivered in the search results for its users. Not that I’m speculating or anything, but there might have been something in the world happening at that time that would possibly require a need to fact check news articles on Google…I mean, fake news isn’t a thing, right?
With the incredible glut of content that finds it way onto the Internet and pops up in search engines, there is obviously a need for something that tells all of us that these articles are legitimate or not. Luckily, Facebook has followed suit!
Now, the facts aren’t verified by Google itself. According to an article on Google’s blog, publishers are algorithmically determined in order to qualify for inclusion as an authoritative resource. The tag itself is included below the listing to show that it’s verified and show what site provided the verification.
In order to utilize the tag, there is a specific Schema.org ClaimReview markup that must be used. You also have to ensure that your content and its markup abide by Google policies and standards, which you can find through various searches (i.e. markup quality guidelines here).
If you are someone who publishes large amounts of newsworthy content and you want your users to believe in the legitimacy of your content, I would highly recommend this new markup! This new tag isn’t necessarily a ranking factor, at least Google hasn’t stated that just yet. However, the tag does help your users discover good content that is verifiable, as opposed to a large amount of the content out there that has no bearing in reality. Then they can make their own decisions!
Just like most Google changes and additions, this is one other item that will benefit its users. Why not get ahead of the curve and try to help out?
