What are Google Web Stories?

Google Web Stories in a nutshell

Reach customers 5x times faster than on social media

What are Google Web Stories?

A Google Web Story is a mobile-first, visually engaging, tappable content format. They provide users with quick concise information. Google Web Story, like social media stories, is a visual format with engaging content. Designing and publishing these stories directly on the web is easy. You can use simple online tools such as MakeStories.

Web Stories give the brand complete control over the conceptualization and execution. There are no content restrictions from third-party platforms. A strong SEO strategy can ensure Web Stories reach their users 5x times faster than social media.

Web Stories was launched in 2015 by Google, then known as AMP stories. It did not gain traction and was soon discontinued. In October 2020, Google relaunched AMP stories as Google Web Stories. Their primary markets are in India, Brazil, and the United States.

Benefits of Google Web Stories

Vogue increased it’s organic traffic by 18%

Creative visuals are the medium that converts a user from a viewer to a customer. Vogue India is a long-time client of MakeStories. It increased its organic traffic by 18% using Web Stories. An advantage of Web Stories is that they live on the web as long as you want them to. This is not the case with social media stories. They do not expire or disappear once published. MakeStories has built-in features to direct Web Stories onto platforms. This can be your social media page, website, email and more. Learn more about the benefits of using Google Web Stories for your brand here.

How to use Google Web Stories for your brand?

Online news publications and portals have come out on top as early adopters. Following massive traffic increases, they have incorporated Web Stories into their marketing strategy. Google Web Stories has become an easy way to broadcast current events to users in a concise manner. Many e-commerce websites are integrating Web Stories to expand brand awareness.

Statista recently did a study. It showed an increase in revenue generated by retail e-commerce mobile websites. This increase was 14% between 2016 and 2021. Many studies found an increase in mobile device users accessing apps and information. To sustain, brands must understand their user behavior and become mobile optimized!

We recommend you analyze the insights of stories on different platforms. May attention to the audience engagement. This can help you determine whether the use of stories can help your business. These metrics help you make informed decisions about viewers consuming interactive content.

How to create a Google Web Story?

Creating a Web Story is simple if you have the right tools. If you have explored posting stories on social media, this should be a cakewalk. MakeStories is a tool designed for beginners and professionals. They can be marketers, publishers and designers.

MakeStories can help create engaging stories for the web. Producing these stories does not need any coding knowledge. The availability of many easy features makes the process of designing exciting. Follow these simple steps to create your first Google Web Story.

Where do Google Web Stories appear?

You may be wondering where these stories appear once published. Web Stories appear on several platforms across Google and other platforms.

Across Google

Google has many places where web stories can appear.

• Google Search – One way is when you search for information on Google. It directs you to visual stories from various publishers. This can be either in a grid or a single view. A brand can index these stories as a web page that appears when a user searches for the content.
• Google Images – Stories in Google can also appear in Google Images. You will be able to identify them with an icon on the bottom right corner of the images suggesting it is a web story.
• Google Discover – You can find stories on Google Discover in a carousel format. This would be visible to you if you are in India, Brazil or the USA. You can scroll through the carousel or tap on a single carousel to learn more about a specific topic.

Your Website

According to a survey conducted by Top Design Firms, 71% of small businesses have a website. They want to increase traffic and Google Web Stories is a great way to do so. MakeStories allows you to create, edit, and publish your story to your website. It provides a plug-in with WordPress as well.

Other Communication Mediums

There are several advantages of hosting stories on your website. One is that you can share your content to any of your existing communication channels. These can be emails, blogs, social media and more.

Access on Non-Mobile Devices

Google Web Stories are for users to view on their mobiles. They are accessible on other technological devices. For eg: laptops, tablets, iPads. etc.

Story Ads

Web Stories can appear as ads while users browse. You can learn more on how to monetize Google Web Stories here.

Summary

Google Web Stories are a series of quick tappable images or videos that a user can flip through. You can share your Google Web Stories without restriction to a single ecosystem. Their benefits can help take your brand to the next level. It helps in increasing website traffic and enhancing brand recall.

MakeStories is an easy-to-use tool that helps create interactive stories for the web. It has direct website integration features. Web Stories can appear across Google and many channels if used the right way. Create your first web story here.