Google Rolls Out ‘Preferred Sources’ For Top Stories In Search

Google is rolling out a new setting that lets you pick which news outlets you want to see more often in Top Stories.

The feature, called Preferred Sources, is launching today in English in the United States and India, with broader availability in those markets over the next few days.

What’s Changing

Preferred Sources lets you choose one or more outlets that should appear more frequently when they have fresh, relevant coverage for your query.

Google will also show a dedicated From your sources section on the results page. You will still see reporting from other publications, so Top Stories remains a mix of outlets.

Google Product Manager Duncan Osborn says the goal is to help you “stay up to date on the latest content from the sites you follow and subscribe to.”

How To Turn It On

Image Credit: Google
  1. Search for a topic that is in the news.
  2. Tap the icon to the right of the Top stories header.
  3. Search for and select the outlets you want to prioritize.
  4. Refresh the results to see the updated mix.

You can update your selections at any time. If you previously opted in to the experiment through Labs, your saved sources will carry over.

In early testing through Labs, more than half of participants selected four or more sources. That suggests people value seeing a range of outlets while still leaning toward publications they trust.

Why It Matters

For publishers, Preferred Sources creates a direct way to encourage loyal readers to see more of your coverage in Search.

Loyal audiences are more likely to add your site as a preferred source, which can increase the likelihood of showing up for them when you have fresh, relevant reporting.

You can point your audience to the new setting and explain how to add your site to their list. Google has also published help resources for publishers that want to promote the feature to followers and subscribers.

This adds another personalization layer on top of the usual ranking factors. Google says you will still see a diversity of sources, and that outlets only appear more often when they have new, relevant content.

Looking Ahead

Preferred Sources fits into Google’s push to let you customize Search while keeping a variety of perspectives in Top Stories.

If you have a loyal readership, this feature is another reason to invest in retention and newsletters, and to make it easy for readers to follow your coverage on and off Search.

Continue Reading