In an effort to support publishers, Google has introduced a simple new tool called Subscribe that makes it easier for readers to pay for premium news content – this is all part of Google’s News Initiative.
This new service builds on the previous solution which allowed readers to subscribe by form via Google Play. The difference is Google Subscribe works directly in-browser and the payment process can be completed within two clicks.
All the reader is required to do is, when prompted, select the publisher offer you’d like to buy, click Subscribe, and then start reading. After being automatically signed in the reader can pay securely with any payment card that’s been previously used on your device. Google controls all the billing and allows readers to manage subscriptions all in one place making it so much easier for readers to sign up and start consuming content.
See how it works here…
For example, when you’ve used all your free articles for the Washington Post, you can quickly set up a subscription via your Google account and pay for the service on your saved payment cards and continue reading. With this service, Google is turning the subscription process into an impulse purchase.
Google is further incentivising this service for the publisher by giving preference to news organisations that sign up by ranking relevant articles higher for search queries that are news topic related. In theory, readers get the news they want, whilst publishers get more money and better metrics.
Google has been testing this with several publishers, the launch partners include Les Échos, Fairfax Media, Le Figaro, the Financial Times, Gannett, Gatehouse Media, Grupo Globo, The Mainichi, McClatchy, La Nación, The New York Times, NRC Group, Le Parisien, Reforma, La Republica, The Telegraph, and The Washington Post.
Find out more on Google’s website here.