"Earlier this year, Google updated its algorithm. This is nothing new-Google updates its algorithms hundreds of times per year, with anywhere from two to four major "core updates" that result in significant changes. And while it's tricky to determine exactly what changed, publishers and websites large and small noticed significant traffic drops and lower search rankings-even for content that had previously been doing well."
"When you search for something and you get a neat little summary of various reporting completed by journalists, you're less likely to visit the websites that actually did the work. And, in some instances, that summary contains incorrect AI hallucinations or reporting from websites you might not trust as much. It's hard to say whether the next core update will make your search results show what you expect, but in the meantime, there's a tweak that can help it feel more tailored to your preferences."
Google updated its search algorithm earlier this year as part of frequent updates, including several major core updates annually. Many publishers experienced traffic drops and lower search rankings even for previously successful content. AI-generated overviews in Search can reduce clicks to original reporting and sometimes include incorrect hallucinations or lower-quality sources. Google Search has gradually emphasized these summaries, intensifying over the summer. A new Preferred Sources tool allows users to prioritize specific publishers in Top Stories and adds a From Your Sources section on some results pages. Setting trusted outlets as preferred can surface more of their reporting and potentially restore visibility.
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