02 December 2009 | Author: D. Warburton Search Copywriter

Google allows news publishers to limit free access

Google has introduced limitations on free news content, to allow publishers to restrict the amount of content users can access before paying a subscription charge.

The Guardian reports that the decision was announced yesterday by Google's senior business product manager Josh Cohen. The move is being viewed as a direct response to Rupert Murdoch's accusation that Google News is "stealing" content from publishers by hosting articles for free on its news site.

Under the new system, publishers will be able to charge for content while still enjoying the high visibility offered by Google News inclusion. This will be achieved by updating the company's First Click Free programme to prevent users from looking at more than five news stories per day from certain publishers before being required to register or subscribe.

Mr Cohen explained: "If you're a Google user, this means that you may start to see a registration page after you've clicked through to more than five articles on the website of a publisher using First Click Free in a day ... while allowing publishers to focus on potential subscribers who are accessing a lot of their content on a regular basis.

"We will then label such stories as 'subscription' in Google News. The ranking of these articles will be subject to the same criteria as all sites in Google, whether paid or free.

"Paid content may not do as well as free options, but that is not a decision we make based on whether or not it's free. It's simply based on the popularity of the content with users and other sites that link to it.

"These are two of the ways we allow publishers to make their subscription content discoverable, and we're going to keep talking with publishers to refine these methods. After all, whether you're offering your content for free or selling it, it's crucial that people find it. Google can help with that."