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- How to add a preferred source on Google Discover and Google News
- What marking a source as preferred actually changes
- Best practices for publishers who want to be added as preferred sources
- How to measure the effect on traffic and engagement
- Troubleshooting when a source won’t stay preferred
- Privacy and personalization considerations
- How this feature affects publishers’ SEO strategy
Want your favorite news outlet to appear more often in your Google feed? Google gives users a way to prioritize sources so stories from those publishers are surfaced more prominently. This guide walks through how to add a preferred source on Google, why it matters, and what publishers can do to earn that placement.
How to add a preferred source on Google Discover and Google News
Steps differ slightly by device and app. Below are the most common methods users follow.
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- Open the Google app or Google News on your phone.
- Tap the profile icon or menu, then choose Settings or Following.
- Search for the publication or website you want to prioritize.
- Tap Follow or select Add as preferred source when available.
- Adjust notification and personalization settings to control how often stories appear.
On desktop, open Google News, click For you or Favorites, then add publications from the left-hand panel.
What marking a source as preferred actually changes
- Increased visibility: Stories from preferred sources are more likely to appear in your Discover feed.
- Better personalization: Google uses this signal to refine recommendations for your interests.
- Notification control: You can often opt to receive alerts for breaking news from favored publishers.
- Not a guaranteed rank boost: Following a source affects personal feeds, not universal search rankings.
Best practices for publishers who want to be added as preferred sources
Publishers should focus on trust, clarity, and technical health to become a favored source for readers.
- Use clear branding: Prominent site name and author bylines help Google and readers identify your content.
- Publish quality, original content: Consistent, authoritative reporting improves reader retention.
- Implement structured data: Schema for articles and logos helps Google display your content correctly.
- Optimize for speed and mobile: Fast, mobile-friendly pages keep users engaged.
- Secure your site: Use HTTPS and follow Google’s webmaster guidelines.
How to measure the effect on traffic and engagement
Monitoring key metrics helps you see whether being chosen as a preferred source is working.
- Check Google Search Console for Discover performance data.
- Use analytics to track referral traffic, session duration, and return visits.
- Compare periods before and after promotion to spot trends.
- Monitor social shares and direct traffic as supporting signals of audience loyalty.
Troubleshooting when a source won’t stay preferred
- Confirm account and app settings reflect your follow choices.
- Clear app cache or update the Google app to the latest version.
- Verify the publisher’s site has valid structured data and a clear logo.
- Remember region and language settings can affect availability.
- If problems persist, review Google Help Center articles or send feedback through the app.
Privacy and personalization considerations
Personalizing sources means Google uses activity and preferences to shape your feed.
- Control data use: Use account settings to limit personalization and ad personalization.
- Manage shared devices: Sign out or switch accounts to avoid mixing preferences.
- Limit history: Turn off Web & App Activity to reduce personalization signals.
How this feature affects publishers’ SEO strategy
Being named a preferred source is a reader-level signal that can influence discovery. It does not replace core SEO work.
- Continue optimizing for search intent and on-page relevance.
- Maintain content quality and accurate metadata.
- Use structured data and AMP where appropriate to improve eligibility for special features.
- Engage your audience to increase the likelihood readers will follow your publication.
