In the world of technology where people are always coming up with new ideas to get our attention, Google has done something really cool again. They've come up with this amazing thing called Google Web Stories. Even though we don't usually think of Google as a social media site, these Web Stories they made are a fresh and exciting way for people who create things to share their stuff with others. It's kind of like the fun stories you see on Instagram and other places.
Just imagine, in this world of screens and devices, Google Web Stories let creators share their stories using pictures, videos, and words all mixed together. These are special web pages that are super interesting and grab your attention.
Even though Google isn't the first thing we think of when it comes to social media, they've surprised us all with Google Web Stories — a cool way to tell stories with videos, pictures, and words that are just as exciting as what we see on Instagram. And for us as affiliates, our main point here is to find new ways to acquire traffic.
In this article, we're going to discuss everything you need to know about Google Web Stories. We'll look at what they are, discover how you can use them to make money, and take a closer look at success stories from affiliate marketers and bloggers who have used these stories to attract traffic for monetizing their sites.
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What Are Google Web Stories?
Google Web Stories is an exciting evolution in interactive content creation. This format allows creators to share their narratives through a series of immersive, video-centric pages. Each page incorporates a blend of audio, visuals, and text, forming a seamless experience that captivates users' attention and encourages interaction. Formerly known as AMP Stories, Google has refined and expanded upon this concept, embracing diverse styles such as first-person narratives, evergreen stories, live events, educational explorations, and even interactive quizzes and polls.
What sets Google Web Stories apart is their versatility in terms of visibility and integration. These captivating narratives can be discovered in standard Google Search results and are presented as engaging carousels within Google Discover. Beyond that, Web Stories can seamlessly integrate into newsletters, creating an opportunity for creators to extend their reach. This format can also be shared across social media accounts, connecting with audiences where they already engage.
One special thing about Google Web Stories is that they have a double role. They work as interesting and complete content on their own, but they also act like separate web pages that can be found by search engines. This means they can show up in search results when people look for things.
Creators can put these Web Stories on their websites just like any other content, or they can insert them in a way that's similar to how podcast episodes or YouTube videos are added. This way of using them gives people more ways to interact and see them, making the experience better and getting them noticed more.
Google Web Stories Format
Google Web Stories are built in three main parts: a poster, a cover page, and story pages. Think of the poster like the eye-catching packaging that grabs your attention. The cover page is where the story begins, setting the stage for what's to come.
Then, the story pages take you deeper into the narrative using videos, text, and carefully chosen elements. It's like a journey through a mix of visuals and words that creators use to tell their stories.
There is only one poster and cover page per story, but you can have multiple story pages. [Source: Hubsot.com]
Can You Monetize Google Web Stories?
The appeal of Google Web Stories goes beyond just keeping people engaged — it also offers a way to make money. Creators can actually earn money by using things like AdSense, Ad Manager, and display ads in their Web Stories. On top of that, they can easily add affiliate links, which is another way to make money.
Case Studies of Monetizing Google Web Stories
We are going to share a case study of working with Google Web stories as shared by an Indian blogger Shehraj Singh.
"I experimented with Google Web Stories, here is What Happened!" — Shehraj Singh
Shehraj Singh
"Many people were talking about Google Web Stories and how a simple practice immensely increased their traffic. Out of curiosity, I decided to give it a try. Here are my results from the past 36 days."
Singh incorporated the Google Web Stories plugin on his affiliate blog, eReader.blog, dedicated to e-reading devices and ebooks. He crafted 10 stories using Google Web Story templates, publishing them every alternate day for a month.
The Result
Singh's first Web Story attracted a lot of interest, getting more than 19 400 story impressions and 1 302 individual page views in just the first week.
The astounding results left Singh in awe. Just two days later, he released another Web Story, which performed similarly well:
In the grand scheme of things, this strategy increased the overall natural search traffic to Singh's blog and enhanced the number of times his website content was seen. It's possible that because his website was fairly new, Web Stories played a crucial role in helping it gain a significant presence in Google's views.
Brand Awareness
Upon closer examination, Singh realized that his Web Stories lacked a compelling call-to-action and failed to drive conversions.
Despite trying quick reviews, comparisons, and best-off blog posts as Web Stories, they couldn't match the performance of visually captivating ones. The click-through rate for any attached links was less than 1%, resulting in a flat zero conversion rate.
Stable Traffic
In the beginning, there was a big increase in website visits during the first week. However, this started to decrease slowly, and then a steadier and slower increase in Web Story views began as time went on. Singh has created a total of 10 Web Stories. Right now, 9 of them are listed and are attracting natural, unpaid visits to the website.
Pro Tip: Singh says that he noticed that Google Web Stories skewed his analytics figures, affecting bounce rate, session duration, and pages per session. To obtain accurate data, he suggests filtering out Web Story traffic or setting up separate tracking parameters.
Design Matters
Singh realized that his Web Story wasn't clear at first. It had only 3 content pages, and the formatting wasn't great. But when he improved it by giving it a clear and attention-grabbing title, things got much better. He added bright colors, interesting images, and captivating titles, which made a big difference. More people started visiting and paying attention to the story.
Final review from Singh:
"Overall, I’m happy with the results and will continue experimenting with Web Stories as a way to boost brand awareness and attract organic search traffic.
However, it doesn’t seem like the best avenue for driving conversions and it’s better to focus on creating visually appealing, evergreen content."
Conclusion
After making a thorough analysis of Google Web Stories, here are the key takeaway points that you should know:
- Brand Development vs. Direct Response Marketing: Web Stories can contribute to building your brand, but they might not be the best choice for direct response marketing tactics.
- Traffic and Bounce Rate: These stories do bring a lot of visitors to your website, but remember, many of them may leave quite quickly.
- Visual Appeal Matters: Your Web Story needs to look great and capture readers' attention right away. If it doesn't, they're likely to move on.
We're curious: Have you given Google Web Stories a try? Share your experiences and results with us in the comments below. Your input could be really valuable to others in our community.
