Google Rolls Out 'Preferred Sources' Button to Combat AI-Powered Traffic Loss

Google has launched a 'Preferred Sources' button to help publishers combat traffic losses from AI-powered search features. The new tool allows readers to mark websites as trusted sources they want to see highlighted more frequently across Google Search, Discover, and Google News.

According to Google, people are twice as likely to click through to a preferred source when available, potentially driving more traffic to publishers' sites. Publishers can embed the interactive 'Preferred Sources' button directly on their websites, enabling readers to easily designate trusted sources.

The feature is part of Google's efforts to address concerns from publishers about traffic declines caused by rapid growth in AI-powered search results. Since its May rollout of Preferred Sources across AI experiences, including AI Mode and AI Overviews, people have selected over 345,000 unique sources through this method.