Google Web Stories WordPress Plugin Updated With Embedding Capabilities

Google has updated its official Web Stories plugin for WordPress with the ability to embed content on webpages.

Since the launch of the Web Stories plugin it has offered robust creation tools, but users were on their own when it came to embedding the content they created.

WordPress site owners can now create Web Stories and embed them using the same tool. The update also offers the ability to embed Web Stories from other sites.

In addition to easier embedding, the plugin update makes it possible to integrate Web Stories into the theme customization process, and they can now be used with the Classic Editor.

Here’s more about how to embed Web Stories using the plugin.

Web Stories Gutenberg Block

To embed Web Stories into WordPress webpages start by inserting a Web Stories block.

The block will give site owners three options for embedding Web Stories into a webpage or blog post:

• Latest Stories: Display most recent stories, with filtering and sorting options. The list automatically updates as new stories are published.
• Selected Stories: Display a list of handpicked stories.
• Single Story: Embed a single story by providing its URL.

Site owners will then be asked to choose how they want their Web Stories displayed. The options are a carousel, a grid, or a list.

This new Web Stories block allows stories to be displayed anywhere blocks can be used.

The Web Stories WordPress plugin provides built-in integrations for all WordPress core default themes. Several third party themes also offer Web Stories integration, including the Astra theme, Neve theme, and Newspack theme.

This may encourage more site owners to use Web Stories, which can be an effective way to diversify sources of organic traffic.

Web Stories appear in search results and, recently, Google Discover. This gives site owners more ways for their content to get found across Google.

Think about how great it would look for a site to dominate the first page of search results with Web Stories and traditional web content.

Web Stories currently appear in Google Search & Discover in the US, India, and Brazil. Search Advocate John Mueller has stated Web Stories may be expanded to more countries if more sites start using them.

For site owners who are not sure whether to add Web Stories to their content marketing strategy, see this Web Stories guide for marketers written by Helen Pollitt. It’s likely to answer most questions people have regarding the benefits of using this content format.

For some not-so-obvious SEO tips on using Web Stories, see this guide from Brodie Clark. It teaches site owners how to do things like add meta data and Schema markup, and how to track the performance of Web Stories in Google Analytics.

Lastly, site owners should be aware that the quality of Web Stories matters when it comes to appearing in search results. Google has explicitly warned site owners against using Web Stories as a teaser for other content, saying those won’t be ranked in search results.

Source: Google Web Creators