Andy Walker / Android Authority
It seems like everyone celebrated the announcement of Preferred Sources for Google Search. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a good idea. Giving consumers more control over their internet experience is definitely the way to go. However, I find it a somewhat pointless addition to a tool I use to find a variety of sources and not merely highlight my favorites. Beyond Search, I argue that two other Google products would benefit from Preferred Sources: News and Discover.
I’ve spent much time trying to shape Google’s content delivery and discovery platforms to meet my needs. And despite my best efforts, some of which I’ve documented, News and Discover continue to serve me low-grade content regularly. Do you really want me to click on an article with an AI-generated rendering of two fantasy phones posing as breaking news, Google? I’m genuinely not so sure anymore.
Do you like Google Search's Preferred Sources feature? 41 votes I love it! It's exactly what I've been waiting for. 29 % I think it's fine, but it's not amazing. 22 % I don't like it/It's not working for me. 7 % I don't have it yet. 41 %
If Preferred Sources were rolled out to these two content-critical platforms, it would boost these two services and benefit their users.
Why Preferred Sources isn’t a good fit for Search
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Preferred Sources is a new feature Google rolled out to select markets that displays and prioritizes content from sites you’ve cherry-picked when using Google Search. This isn’t to say that every article will be from these sites, but a larger portion of content will be. In theory, this feature allows users to customize their search engine experience better, turning Search into a de facto news app.
The benefits are clear. As my colleague Joe details in his hands-on, Preferred Sources completely changes the game for consumers who use Search in this way. However, this isn’t how I’d want my search engine to function.
While I appreciate Google handing me more control over online content, Preferred Sources solves a problem that doesn’t really exist.
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