Google has introduced a new feature called Preferred Sources for Top Stories in Search, currently launching in the U.S. and India. This feature allows users to customize their news experience by selecting favorite sources, such as sports blogs or local news outlets, to see more content from those sites prominently displayed in Top Stories when relevant and fresh articles are available.
How to Use Preferred Sources
Users can select their preferred sources by searching for a news topic and clicking the icon next to Top Stories. After choosing sources, results refresh to show more articles from those selected sites, either within Top Stories or in a dedicated "From your sources" section. Users can manage their selections anytime and choose as many sources as they want. Early users from Labs showed a preference for selecting multiple sources, with over half choosing four or more. Previous Labs participants will have their selections automatically applied.
Publisher Benefits
Publishers can encourage their audience to select their websites as preferred sources on Google by utilizing resources available in a dedicated help center.
This feature aims to provide a more personalized and relevant news experience while still showing content from a variety of sources.
