Google just expanded its Preferred Sources feature into AI Overviews and AI Mode. That means when your clients search for answers and Google generates an AI response, your firm's content can be labeled and prioritized — if those clients have set you as a preferred source. We think this is one of the best low-effort client engagement tools to come out of Google in years.
What you'll learn
- What Google's Preferred Sources expansion means for AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Why this is a practical client engagement tool for professional service firms
- Five specific ways to turn Preferred Sources into an outreach play
- How the new "Highly Cited" badge rewards original content
- Step-by-step setup for both your readers and your own site
The short version
Google now lets users mark websites as "preferred" so those sites get labeled in AI-generated search results. For professional service firms, this is a free, passive way to stay visible to the clients who already trust you. You can set it up in minutes and use it as an outreach tool starting today.
Related reading
What Google just announced
On May 27, 2026, Google announced that its Preferred Sources feature now extends into AI Overviews and AI Mode. That is a meaningful expansion. Since its initial U.S. launch in September 2025, Preferred Sources only affected Top Stories. Now it shapes the AI-generated answers that increasingly dominate the search results page.
The feature lets any Google user mark websites they trust. When those users search for something and Google generates an AI response, links from their preferred sources get a visible "Preferred" label. According to Google, users are twice as likely to click through to a preferred source. People have already selected more than 345,000 unique sources.
Google also introduced two other features in the same announcement. A new carousel surfaces timely articles and discussion posts directly within AI responses. And a "Highly Cited" badge now appears on articles that other publications have referenced frequently, making it easier to identify original reporting.
Why this matters for professional service firms
If you run a law firm, accounting firm, consulting practice, or any B2B service business, this feature creates a direct line between your content and the people who already trust you most: your existing clients.
Think about what happens when a client at an accounting firm searches for something like "do I need to collect sales tax in Illinois" or "new beneficial ownership reporting rules." Google generates an AI Overview. If that client has set the firm as a preferred source, the firm's content gets labeled and prioritized in that response. The client sees the firm's name in the exact moment they are looking for answers.
That is free, perpetual brand reinforcement in the channel where your clients are already searching.
The two-for-one play: Asking a client to set you as a preferred source accomplishes two things at once. It gives them a practical tool that improves their search experience. And it reminds them that your firm publishes content worth reading in the first place. Most clients have no idea their accountant or attorney has a blog. This is the nudge.
Five ways to use Preferred Sources as a client engagement tool
Google provides a direct deep link that takes anyone straight to your site inside the source preferences tool. The format is simple:
https://google.com/preferences/source?q=yourfirm.com
That link is the building block for everything below.
Send a client email or newsletter
Draft a short email to existing clients with a subject line along the lines of "A quick Google tip (and a way to hear from us more)." Keep it brief: explain what Preferred Sources is, include the deep link, and mention one or two recent articles the firm published. You are providing a genuinely useful tip while subtly reinforcing that the firm is an active content publisher. Most clients will not have heard of this feature yet, which makes the email feel timely and valuable.
Add it to your email signature
Google provides downloadable button assets in multiple languages for exactly this purpose. Add the link or button next to your existing social media icons in every email signature at the firm. It costs nothing, requires no ongoing maintenance, and works passively on every email the firm sends. For a 15-person law firm sending hundreds of emails per week, that is significant exposure.
Include it in client onboarding
If your firm has an onboarding packet, welcome sequence, or new-client portal, add a "Stay up to date with our insights" step that includes the deep link. Build the habit before the client even needs it. Accounting firms, wealth managers, and law practices that bring on new clients quarterly have a natural touchpoint here.
Post it on LinkedIn
When a partner or principal publishes a thought leadership post on LinkedIn and links back to the firm blog, include a line like "You can set us as a preferred source in Google so our content shows up in your AI search results" with the deep link. It fits naturally in the "I wrote about this on our blog" pattern that performs well on LinkedIn. This also works for industry association pages, chapter newsletters, and trade group updates.
Add a banner or CTA on your website
Google's publisher documentation specifically encourages site owners to add a button alongside existing social CTAs. Place it on your blog index page, in a sticky sidebar widget, or as a subtle banner on article pages. Any site that publishes fresh content is eligible. The only requirement is that the domain publishes regularly enough to appear in the source preferences tool.
A note on how this works: The source preferences tool operates at the domain level. Your clients add yourfirm.com as a preferred source, and everything published under that domain is covered — including /blog, /resources, /insights, and every other page on your site. You cannot add a subdirectory like yourfirm.com/blog as its own separate entry, but you don't need to. The root domain covers all of it. Subdomains like blog.yourfirm.com are also eligible as separate entries. Sources that are not updated regularly may not appear in the tool, which is another reason to maintain a consistent publishing cadence.
The "Highly Cited" badge and what it means for content strategy
The Preferred Sources expansion gets the headline, but the "Highly Cited" badge deserves attention from anyone investing in content. Google is now visibly labeling articles on the search results page that other publications have referenced.
For firms that invest in original research, proprietary data, or first-to-market commentary on regulatory changes, this is a direct reward mechanism. An accounting firm that publishes a timely analysis of new nexus thresholds and gets referenced by trade publications will now carry a visible credibility signal in search results.
The implication for content strategy is clear. Original analysis beats recycled summaries. First-mover commentary on industry developments earns compounding visibility. This has always been true for SEO. But now Google is making the reward visible to the end user with a badge they can see on the results page.
Google also announced that it will indicate when an article explicitly references a Highly Cited source. This creates a citation chain that benefits both the original publisher and the publications that build on their work.
How to set it up
For your clients and readers
Direct them to Google's source preferences page, or use your firm-specific deep link: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=yourfirm.com. They search for your site, check the box, and they are done. Settings persist across any browser where they are signed into Google.
For your firm
Confirm your domain appears in the source preferences tool by entering your URL in the search box. If your firm publishes content regularly and your site is indexed by Google, you should already be eligible. Google also provides downloadable button assets in English and 15 other languages that you can add to your site alongside your social media icons.
Publishing cadence matters
A firm blog that publishes once a quarter may not appear in the tool. A firm that publishes monthly almost certainly will. If you're already maintaining a regular content schedule, you're likely eligible. If not, this is one more reason to start.
Is your content showing up in AI search?
We help professional service firms build content strategies that perform in both traditional and AI-powered search. If you want to put Preferred Sources to work for your firm — or start publishing the kind of content that earns the Highly Cited badge — we can help.
Frequently asked questions
Does my site need to be a news site to be eligible?
No. Google says any website that publishes fresh content is eligible. Law firm blogs, accounting firm resource centers, consulting knowledge bases, and SaaS blogs all qualify as long as they publish regularly enough to appear in Google's source preferences tool.
Does this work with AI Overviews and AI Mode?
Yes, as of May 27, 2026. Previously, Preferred Sources only affected the Top Stories section. The expansion into AI Overviews and AI Mode is the core update in Google's May 2026 announcement.
Does Preferred Sources cover content published under /blog or /resources?
Yes. The source preferences tool works at the domain level. Your clients add yourfirm.com as a preferred source, and everything published under that domain is covered — including /blog, /resources, /insights, and every other page on your site. You cannot add a subdirectory as its own separate entry, but you don't need to. The root domain covers all of it. Subdomains like blog.yourfirm.com are also eligible as their own separate entries.
Is there a cost to this feature?
No. Preferred Sources is free for both the publisher and the user. There is no ad spend, no registration process, and no approval required.
What is the Highly Cited badge?
A new label that appears on search result listings when Google detects that an article has been referenced by multiple other publications. It helps users identify original reporting and influential coverage directly on the results page.
How do I get my firm's deep link?
Use this format: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=yourfirm.com. Replace yourfirm.com with your actual domain. That link takes users directly to your listing inside Google's source preferences tool.
