Google has announced updates for the Web Stories WordPress plugin, now bringing it to version 1.3.0. This upgrade includes support for a form-based advertising option, making monetization easier, and offers additional creative design options like animation and new layouts.
Web Stories for WordPress Plugin
Web stories represent a new content type for the web, designed to provide short, easily consumable content that people can read during brief breaks.
Web stories are tailored for users who want information quickly.
Abuse of Web Stories
Some publishers have misused this format as a traffic acquisition tool by teasing an article through web stories, forcing readers to click to the main site to finish reading. Google recently warned that “teaser” web stories would not be ranked. The correct use of web stories, as affirmed by Google, is to consider them as primary content, similar to articles or blog posts.
Monetization is Easier
One of the most significant updates to the Web Stories WordPress plugin is the easier integration with AdSense and the Beta Programmatic Demand via Ad Manager feature. Google has enabled a form-based method for adding advertisements to web stories, eliminating the need for coding.
Below is a screenshot showing how easy it is to add ads using the plugin.
AdSense is Google’s automated ad selling service connecting advertisers to publishers, handling all the backend processes. The programmatic demand feature for web stories is an alternative way to display advertising via Ad Manager.
According to Google:
“The Web Story ad ecosystem is still emerging, but AdSense and even programmatic demand via Ad Manager is already supported. You can now enable these integrations for your stories in the plugin’s settings without any coding necessary.”
New Page Layouts Section and Animation
The plugin now features a page layouts section that allows publishers to easily mix and match different layout templates. This makes it easier to add attractive design features without overhauling the entire web story layout.
Google added:
“To make designing and layouting stories more flexible, you can mix and match individual pages easily via the new Page Layouts section.”
Google has also included more complex animations within templates, making it simple to create professional-looking web stories with minimal effort.
More animation styles are on the way:
“In the subsequent months, we’ll follow up with combined effects like Ken Burns-style animations and a powerful timeline that allows you to control properties like easing, delays and more in more granular detail.”
The Ken Burns effect involves a slow pan across an image, adding a dramatic touch to static visuals.
Border Style Designs
Google has also introduced the option to add curved borders to layouts.
Pre-Publish Checklist and Bug Fixes
The update includes a pre-publish checklist to alert publishers to enhancements that will make a web story eligible for Google Discover, along with accessibility concerns. Additionally, bugs that interfered with other plugins have been fixed, ensuring better interoperability.
Web Stories 1.3.0 Writes a New Chapter
These updates make it easier for more publishers to monetize the web stories format. It also simplifies the process for non-designers to create engaging web stories using point-and-click template options.
Citation
Read the Official Announcement:
New in Web Stories for WordPress: Animations and Ads
