The headline is too long; Google cuts it off.
Why it matters to readers. Readers see a clipped headline and can't tell what the story is about.
Desk · 2 min
→ Write an SEO headline under 65 characters; the page headline can stay.
Galley · story grade
Your story, graded
C
Fix this firstThe headline is too long; Google cuts it off. Desk · 2 min
Quality against reach
Quality is what the page shows of the reporting: byline, named sources, depth. Reach is how well it is set up to travel: timing, demand for the topic, the site's standing. Read it as a guide to where effort pays, not a traffic forecast.
Potential
41
Quality
57
Reach
32
25 pt · held back
Quality 57, reach 32: good journalism that is not set up to travel · low potential
Where it can be found
Discover
31
- Held back by: Share picture, How recent it is (nothing to fix)
Google News
50
- Held back by: Byline, News sitemap (nothing to fix), How recent it is (nothing to fix)
Google Search
74
- Held back by: Links to your other stories, Links to sources
For your desk
Changes an editor or reporter makes in the CMS.
Some photos have no description for blind readers.
Why it matters to readers. Screen-reader users hear nothing where the photo is.
Desk · 2 min each
→ Fill in each photo's alt text: one sentence on what it shows.
The story barely links to your other stories.
Why it matters to readers. Readers who finish it have nowhere to go next on your site.
Desk · 5 min
→ Link three to five related stories, on words that say what each is about.
No named expert or official is quoted.
Why it matters to readers. Readers want to see who stands behind the facts.
Desk · depends
→ If the story makes claims, quote a named person with their role.
We couldn't find who wrote this story.
Why it matters to readers. Readers trust a story more when they can see who reported it.
Desk · 2 min
→ Add the reporter as author in the CMS; if it's there, ask the web team.
For your web team
- Technical term
author in page + JSON-LD- What to change
- Print the author's name on the page and in the NewsArticle author field.
- Example
"author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Reporter Name","url":"https://example.com/author/reporter-name"}]- How to check it's fixed
- View source of a story and search "author": the reporter's name should follow.
The story links to no outside source.
Why it matters to readers. Readers can't check the report or data it relies on.
Desk · 5 min
→ Link the primary sources: the report, order, dataset or statement.
For your web team
Site changes. Most are made once and fix every story.
Trackers load with no sign of a consent banner.
Why it matters to readers. Readers are not asked before being tracked, which can breach their data-protection rights.
Web team · 1 day
For your web team
- Technical term
consent-management platform (CMP)- What to change
- Add a consent platform that holds trackers until the reader agrees.
- Example
Load the analytics tag only after the consent platform reports agreement.
- How to check it's fixed
- Open the site in a private window: a consent banner should appear before anything else.
The share picture is too small for a large card.
Why it matters to readers. Readers on Discover get a thumbnail they scroll past.
Web team · 1 hour
→ Use a featured photo at least 1200 pixels wide.
For your web team
- Technical term
og:image width ≥ 1200px- What to change
- Point og:image at the full-size image, not a thumbnail.
- Example
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/story-1200x675.jpg">
- How to check it's fixed
- View source, search og:image, open it: the picture should be ≥1200px wide.
14 of 18 checks passed.
Send to your web team
Every web-team item, as one checklist to copy, email or print.
For the web team — https://sabrangindia.in/mass-protest-in-bhubaneswar-against-mining-linked-state-repression/
[ ] 1. consent-management platform (CMP) (once for the whole site; 1 day)
Problem: Trackers load with no sign of a consent banner.
Change: Add a consent platform that holds trackers until the reader agrees.
Example: Load the analytics tag only after the consent platform reports agreement.
How to check it's fixed: Open the site in a private window: a consent banner should appear before anything else.
[ ] 2. og:image width ≥ 1200px (once for the whole site; 1 hour)
Problem: The share picture is too small for a large card.
Change: Point og:image at the full-size image, not a thumbnail.
Example: <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/story-1200x675.jpg">
How to check it's fixed: View source, search og:image, open it: the picture should be ≥1200px wide.
Graded by Galley · onlinejourno.com
That was one story.
After publication, Frontmatter goes through everything you publish with the same checks and finds the stories whose quality outran their reach.