Google integrates preferred sources into AI search features

Image credit: Abondance

Google announced it is enhancing its AI search capabilities by integrating user-selected preferred sources into AI Overviews and AI Mode, alongside introducing new content carousels and expanding its “Highly Cited” badge.

These updates aim to improve content discovery and trust within its AI-powered search results, particularly for English-speaking users in the United States where these features are primarily available.

The “Preferred Sources” feature, previously limited to Top Stories, now allows users to highlight their favorite websites, influencing the information presented in AI Overviews and AI Mode responses. Duncan Osborn, a Google representative, stated that users are twice as likely to click on links from sources they have designated as preferred, with more than 345,000 unique sources already selected globally.

Google is also rolling out two new carousels within AI Mode and AI Overviews. One carousel will focus on developing news topics, while the other will highlight online discussions, forums, and social media content, according to the company.

The “Highly Cited” badge, first launched in 2022 to identify original reporting and authoritative sources, is being expanded beyond the Top Stories section. This badge will now appear on a broader range of article links displayed on classic search results pages, Google said.

The company indicated that the integration of preferred sources and the expansion of the “Highly Cited” badge are part of its ongoing efforts to provide users with more relevant and trustworthy information, particularly as AI-driven search evolves.

Source: Abondance