As you’ve probably noticed, Google has gotten … weird lately. Weirder? It can be hard to find the search results you’re looking for. Between AI summaries and algorithm changes resulting in unexpected sources, it can be tricky to navigate the most popular search engine in the world. (And publishers are feeling the strain, too.)
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. “Google Zero” (as Nilay Patel of The Verge first called it) is thought to be caused, at least in part, by AI overviews.
Google Search has shown a slow crawl toward this for a couple of years, but the most recent blow was delivered over the summer. 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.
Take back control of your Google search results with the new Google “Preferred Sources” tool. This can help you see more of Condé Nast Traveler, from our rigorous and obsessive hotel and cruise reviews to timely travel news and in-depth destination guides. Preferred Sources are prioritized in Top Stories search results, and you’ll also get a dedicated From Your Sources section on some search results pages.
Condé Nast Traveler Staff
To set Condé Nast Traveler as a Preferred Source, you can click this link and check the box to the right. You can also search for additional sources you prefer on this page and check the respective boxes to make sure they’re prioritized in your Google searches.
You can also set a Preferred Source from within your Google searches themselves. When you see a Top Stories module on your search results page, you can click the icon to the right of the section title (it looks like a starred folder). Enter your favorite sources, check the box, and refresh to see those prioritizations take place.
The ways in which we all use the internet are subject to change all the time, and it’s hard to know what the future holds. But for now, there’s still a way to see more of what you want to and less of what you don’t.
A version of this story was originally published on WIRED.