For searches related to current events, Google immediately provides relevant news articles at the top. You can set which sources you prefer to see there.
After a testing period in several English-speaking countries, Google is rolling out Preferred Sources worldwide. The preferred sources you set have an impact on what Google displays in your search results.
This is primarily the case when you use Google to search for information about current events. In those instances, Google displays a Top Stories block above the actual search results. In that block, you will find quick links to news articles related to your search query.
By default, Google chooses which news websites to pull that news from. However, via Preferred Sources, you can enter which websites you prefer. Think, for example, of newspapers you have a subscription to, or of course ITdaily for your IT news. Google will not limit itself to your preferred sources, but when news is available on those websites, you will see it sooner.
Set your sources yourself
To set your preferred sources, follow these steps.
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Top Stories
First, you need to see the Top stories. You can do this by performing a search query related to current events. Now you will see a button with a star next to Top Stories. Click it to open a window where you can manage sources.
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Direct link
If the icon does not appear, you can also simply click on this link. In that case, you will go to a page identical to the window mentioned above.
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Add source
Now add one or more sources by typing the name of the website and clicking the checkmark next to it. You can add several sources. -
Manage sources
At the bottom, you can expand Your sources. There you can see which sources you have already added and you can remove sources.
Google’s Preferred Sources are a double-edged sword. The fact is that Google plays a very large role in how people consume their news. Direct links to news can be an important source of readers for news websites. In that respect, it is good that Google is finally giving users the tools to indicate for themselves which websites they find relevant for their news.
Google’s dual role
On the other hand, the system demonstrates all the more how far Google has moved away from being a true search engine. By not selecting based on relevance itself, but playing a curating role in what news appears, the company influences what people see regarding current events. Extra control over this can be relevant, but it also increases the risk that people will get their news even more from their familiar bubble.
For news websites, including major newspapers but also ITdaily, it is naturally important that readers choose to add the website as a preferred source. Otherwise, those websites run the risk of being overshadowed by other results selected by Google.
From a user perspective, we view this possibility as rather positive, as Google moved away from its role as an independent search engine some time ago. This shifts the choice of reliable news sources slightly more toward the user, rather than the major American tech giant.