Google Search is one of Alphabet’s core products, and it dominates this space like no other. Google has managed to maintain its search supremacy over the years for several reasons, the most fundamental of which is its steady improvement. And the Mountain View tech giant has more in store to enhance the Search experience further.
After introducing features like AI Overviews and improvements to Discover, Google’s plan is to give users more control of their Search experience through what it calls the “Preferred Sources” feature. This is already available through Labs, but over the next few days, Google will make it available for all English users in the US and India.
What’s Google’s Preferred Sources feature, and how to use it?
As the name suggests, Preferred Sources puts you in control of which news outlets you want Google to show more articles from in the Top Stories section. After opening the Google app, all you’ll have to do is search for a topic that’s in the news and then tap the icon that appears to the right of the Top Stories. The next step is to type the names of your sources and select them.
After selecting the outlets, you’ll have to tap the Refresh results button appearing in the bottom right corner. This will allow Google Search to update results with articles from your preferred sources in Top Stories and a dedicated “From your sources section.”
However, it’s worth noting that the Top Stories will also show articles from other sources alongside the ones you selected. So, Google is walking a tightrope between customizing news and maintaining diversity in perspectives in the Top Stories section.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that your preferred sources aren’t limited to any particular search term or topic. In other words, the Top Stories will prioritize articles from your chosen ones, regardless of the topic you search for. If it’s a topic that you think some other outlets tend to do more justice to, you can edit your selections and add them just as before. You can add as many sources as you want.
For those who have been using this feature through Labs, your current selections will automatically apply, so you don’t have to repeat the steps again. But if you’re a publisher, you’ll now have to keep encouraging your followers and subscribers to add your website as a preferred source on Google Search.
