Google now lets people choose their Preferred Sources: the sites they want to see more often in the Top Stories section of Google Search. It’s one of the most direct ways Google has ever given publishers to build a returning audience, but there’s a catch. Readers have to know the feature exists, and know they can use it for your site.
SEOPress 10 removes that friction. A new Google Preferred Sources block (and a matching shortcode) lets you drop a clean “Add as a preferred source” button anywhere on your site, with no code at all.
What are Google Preferred Sources?
Preferred Sources is a Google Search feature that lets readers hand-pick the publications they trust. When someone marks your site as a preferred source, Google gives your articles a better chance of appearing in their Top Stories carousel for relevant searches.
In practice, that means:
- More visibility for your latest articles among the readers who already like your work.
- A loyal, returning audience instead of one-off visitors from a single search.
- A compounding effect, the more readers who add you, the more consistently you show up.
The only obstacle is discovery. Most readers don’t know the setting exists. A visible button on your site solves that instantly.
What SEOPress 10 adds
SEOPress 10 introduces two effortless ways to place a preferred-source button on your site:
- The Google Preferred Sources block for the WordPress block editor.
- The
[seopress_preferred_source]shortcode for widgets, classic content, and page builders.
When a visitor clicks the button, they’re taken straight to Google’s page to mark your site as a preferred source. That’s it, no plugins for them to install, no accounts to create.
Best of all, it’s free and lightweight. The button is simply a nicely styled link to Google, with no heavy external scripts to slow your pages down.
Method 1: Add the block
Best for posts, pages, and templates edited in the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg).
- Open the post, page, or template where you want the button.
- Click the + (Add block) button.
- Search for “Google Preferred Sources.”
- Select the block to drop it into place.
- Adjust the settings in the block sidebar (label, logo, domain…).
- Update or Publish.
Method 2: Use the shortcode
Best for sidebar widgets, classic editor content, and page builders (Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and others).
Paste this shortcode wherever you’d like the button to appear:
[seopress_preferred_source]
It works anywhere WordPress renders shortcodes: widget areas, classic blocks, page-builder text modules, and more.
Customize the button to fit your design
The button is designed to blend into your site, not fight it. You can:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Button label | Change the wording, e.g. “Follow us on Google” or “Add us to your Top Stories.” |
| Google logo | Show or hide the Google logo depending on your layout. |
| Target domain / subdomain | Point the button at a specific domain or subdomain, handy if your news lives on news.example.com. |
Targeting a subdomain
If your editorial content runs on a subdomain (for example news.example.com), set that domain in the block settings or shortcode so readers add the right source. This ensures Google associates the preference with the exact property where your articles are published.
Why it’s a smart, low-cost win
- Free: included in SEOPress, nothing extra to buy.
- Lightweight: just a styled link, so it won’t slow your pages or hurt your Core Web Vitals.
- No code: add it with a block or a shortcode in seconds.
- Compounding reach: every reader who clicks improves your odds of appearing in future Top Stories.