Google Introduces “Preferred Sources” Button for Publishers Affected by AI Traffic Decline

Google announced on Thursday that it is launching an interactive “Preferred Sources” button, allowing readers to mark publishers’ websites as “favorite sources.” This feature aims to help users see these preferred sources more prominently across Google Search, Discover, and Google News, responding to concerns from publishers facing reduced website traffic due to the rising influence of AI.

The tech giant is providing online publishers the ability to embed this new button on their websites, enhancing reader engagement. The rollout follows Google’s earlier launch of Preferred Sources in May, which was integrated into AI experiences such as AI Mode and AI Overviews, and was previously accessible in Top Stories.

This initiative is designed to streamline the process for readers to find links from familiar and trusted sources while using Google’s AI for content discovery. Since the initial launch in May, users have already selected over 345,000 unique sources as their preferred options.

Readers can add a publisher to their favorite sources by navigating to Google’s source preferences page and searching for the publisher by name or website. Google indicates that being recognized as a preferred source can significantly boost traffic for publishers, noting that users are twice as likely to click on a preferred source when presented with the option. This move appears aimed at mitigating the adverse effects experienced by traffic-reliant businesses in light of AI-enhanced search features.

In conjunction with the button, Google also revealed plans to allow readers to personalize their Discover feed within the app. Users will soon have the option to modify their feed by communicating specific topic preferences through a three-dot menu and natural language commands, which Google will utilize to adjust the feed in real-time.

Google is not alone in shifting towards AI-driven personalization. Several leading social media platforms have recently introduced user-controlled algorithms to enhance content recommendations. Additionally, the company stated that Android users will soon be able to tailor their audio daily briefings in the Google News app.