7,000 likes and a nod from Google!

It’s been a while since we blew our own trumpet but we are a happy team today!

MyWelshpool is currently going through a record year in terms of visitor numbers and page views which shows that after seven years you are still trusting us as your go-to source for reliable news and information.

But this week we have two huge milestones to announce.

As many of you know, we have worked closely with Facebook since day one, sharing many of our stories on the social media platform so that the latest news is just one click away.

Over the past 24 hours we have welcomed our 7,000th ‘like’ on our Facebook page which is simply astonishing. The page also gives you, our reader, an opportunity to comment on our stories and is also another way of contacting us with your news. Sometimes we have to intervene due to strict policies on libel and decency, but generally we are pleased to provide this platform for you to have your say on issues that matter.

Our second piece of news not only brings another service for our reader, but carries an enormous amount of credibility for MyWelshpool.

Google has recognised us as an official news service which places us alongside the world’s leading media brands that provide content through the leading search engine. The benefit to our region is that people ‘Googling’ for local news and information will now see our stories high on their search results.

It also means that you can now set up a ‘Google alert’ which will send a daily feed of news that you want to read direct to your email address. Simply visit https://www.google.co.uk/alerts and follow the instructions.

These two successes are down to the constant support that we receive from you and thanks to the tremendous backing from our wonderful advertisers, this crucial community service remains free of charge and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

These are challenging times for local media and a recent report showed that local newspapers have collectively lost 50% of readership since 2007, and a 66% drop in advertising revenue. Sadly 20% have already closed down.

It was a gamble when we launched in 2010. We were one of the first hyperlocal sites of its kind and have continued to lead the way with a mission to serve you. We always welcome your feedback either through our Facebook page or email us at editor@mywelshpool.co.uk.

Thank-you