Google is expanding features like Preferred Sources globally to help users connect with trusted news outlets and strengthen website audiences. Preferred Sources allows users to customize Top Stories, leading to twice as many clicks to chosen sites. A new feature highlights links from users' news subscriptions, prioritizing trusted content and showing it in a dedicated carousel, initially launching in the Gemini app with AI Overviews and AI Mode to follow.
Search AI features are enhanced by increasing inline links and adding contextual introductions explaining the relevance of links. The Web Guide, which organizes links into helpful topic groups for complex searches, has been updated to be twice as fast and is shown more frequently in the Search "All" tab for opted-in users.
Google is piloting a new commercial partnership program with global news publishers such as Der Spiegel, El País, The Guardian, and The Washington Post to explore AI-driven audience engagement. This includes testing AI-powered article overviews and audio briefings on Google News with clear attribution and links. Partnerships with organizations like Estadão, Antara, Yonhap, and The Associated Press aim to provide real-time information in the Gemini app.
Google emphasizes ongoing collaboration with websites and creators of all sizes to improve products and respond to evolving information consumption.
New Features to Connect Users with Sources
- Preferred Sources: Launching globally for English-language users, allowing customization of Top Stories and increasing clicks to preferred sites by 2x. Nearly 90,000 unique sources have been selected so far.
- Subscription Highlights: New feature highlights links from users' news subscriptions, prioritizing trusted content in a dedicated carousel, starting with the Gemini app.
- Enhanced AI Search Links: More inline links in AI Mode with contextual introductions explaining link relevance.
- Web Guide Expansion: Updated to be twice as fast, organizing links into topic groups for complex searches, shown more often in the Search "All" tab for opted-in users.
New AI Partnerships with Publishers
- Google is piloting commercial partnerships with over a dozen global news publishers to explore AI's role in driving audience engagement.
- Features being tested include AI-powered article overviews on Google News and audio briefings, both with clear attribution and links.
- Partnerships with organizations like Estadão, Antara, Yonhap, and The Associated Press provide real-time information to enhance the Gemini app experience.
Commitment to Collaboration and Evolution
Google continues to work with a wide range of websites and creators, from major publishers to emerging voices, to improve products and adapt to changing ways people consume information worldwide.
