Having already expanded far beyond its origins as an internet search engine, Google is increasingly becoming a universal content platform. Google’s latest service has been christened News Lab, aiming to provide journalists with various research tools over and above the ubiquitous search bar.

The underlying objective of this new enterprise is to ensure that Google carries news before any other media outlet, increasing its global influence and making it a default platform for breaking stories or reportage. It’s no coincidence that Facebook unveiled a platform for uploading news stories just last month, while Twitter’s reputation for carrying eyewitness reports and breaking news is peerless. Google’s supremacy is under attack, and News Lab is their method of retaliation.

Google News Lab

Despite being heralded as a major breakthrough, Google News Lab is effectively a toolbox within which a variety of existing or recently-unveiled Google applications can be found. These have been grouped into four categories, each covering a different aspect of content production:

Research: Some of the applications listed here are as simple as tips for advanced Google searching, while consumer survey tools and a reverse image search are comparatively technical. Translations and Google’s news archive are among other tools on offer, while Google Scholar delivers results from academic papers and publishers. Visualization enables statistical analysis to be presented in a way that doesn’t scare off readers, and it’s even possible to conduct consumer surveys (for a fee).

Report: Arguably the weakest of the four sections, this includes appropriate citations for Google Maps and satellite imagery from Google Earth Pro that can be used as a backdrop to reports. However, since some of the Earth imagery on file for Britain dates back to the 1990s, this latter facility should be used with caution.

Distribute: This is where the real purpose of News Lab becomes evident, with Newsstand allowing articles to be published alongside revenue-generating advertising. The more content Google has, the more it can charge advertisers for the privilege of appearing alongside stories, with the journalists themselves receiving a percentage. Five of the tools in this section relate to YouTube, emphasising Google’s enthusiasm for video journalism on its $1.65 billion baby.

Optimise: While this part of the News Lab ostensibly encourages people to bolster audience numbers and develop an audience, it’s also designed to encourage use of Google Analytics. Once journalists know their way around this platform they may encourage its wider adoption and increase take-up outwith the current audience of marketing professionals.

More observant readers may have noted a recurring theme of data and statistics within this toolbox. That’s no coincidence. Google believes that data journalism represents a different approach to conventional press reporting, and it wants to encourage journalists – through its own portals, obviously – to augment conventional text articles with statistical visualizations.

There’s a strong emphasis on overlaying data onto 3D maps, with links to reports from organisations as diverse as the UN and Statistics Iceland. YouTube is also being heavily promoted, with attributes like YouTube Newswires allowing citizens to upload eyewitness videos into the public domain.

Google Plus

To underline the investment made in this digital hub, Google has already established a series of partnerships with grassroots journalism bodies and umbrella groups. These collaborations reflect how consumers are increasingly learning about world events through amateur reporters and social media, although not through Google Plus. In another ironic twist, Google Trends now enables journalists to see in real time what searches are trending through Google’s search bar. This encourages reporters to pursue stories of popular interest, rather than allowing them to determine for themselves what is (or isn’t) newsworthy.

Your business may find it beneficial to take advantage of the Google News Lab platform. It’s no secret that content is king online, and should you be reporting in your industry and linking to your website you may see a spike in traffic. Make sure your web hosting solution is ready to take the strain!