Google gives publishers a new way to fight AI-driven traffic losses
Google has introduced a 'Preferred Sources' button that allows users to highlight their trusted publishers in search results and AI-driven experiences. This feature is intended to help publishers regain traffic lost to AI-generated content summaries.
Why it matters
This represents a strategic shift by Google to address publisher concerns regarding the impact of AI search features on website traffic and content monetization.
As AI continues to kill traffic to websites, Google on Thursday threw a bone to those publishers negatively impacted by the change. It’s now allowing readers to push a button on a publisher’s website to indicate it’s a “favorite source” they’d like to see highlighted more often across Google Search, Discover, and Google News.
The tech giant said it’s making this new, interactive “Preferred Sources” button available to online publishers to embed on their own websites.
The launch follows Google’s rollout of Preferred Sources in May to Google’s AI experiences, including AI Mode and AI Overviews. The option was previously available in Top Stories.
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