Another development is now worth paying attention to: Google Preferred Sources, a feature that allows users to tell Google which websites they would like to see more often in their results.

On August 20, 2026, Google added a new option for website publishers: the ability to integrate an interactive button directly on their pages, allowing readers to add the site to their preferred sources.

The feature is still relatively new in this form, but it is part of a series of changes that make it fairly clear where Google is heading.

What is Google Preferred Sources?

The concept is simple.

A user can choose certain websites as preferred sources in Google. When they do, Google may then show them more content from those sources when it considers the content relevant.

Preferred Sources is not entirely new.

Google had started testing the feature before rolling it out more broadly in 2025, particularly in Top Stories. Users could already select the media outlets, blogs or websites they wanted to prioritize.

Since then, Google has continued to evolve the tool.

In April 2026, Google Preferred Sources was expanded to more countries and languages. Then, in May, Google integrated it into AI Overviews and AI Mode, where sources selected by the user can now be identified as “Preferred.”

And since August 20, 2026, website owners have been able to integrate a new interactive button directly into their content.

In practical terms, a reader can be viewing an article, click to add the site to their Preferred Sources, then return to the content they were reading. The action becomes much simpler and more natural.

*Example of the Preferred Sources button offered by Google

Why is Google pushing this feature now?

The timing is probably not a coincidence.

For a long time, Google Search followed a fairly predictable path: someone performed a search, looked through a list of results and then chose a website.

That journey is changing quickly.

AI Overviews and AI Mode now make it possible to obtain a great deal of information directly within Google. The search engine summarizes, compares, selects sources and sometimes builds a complete answer before the user has even visited a website.

In this context, Google also needs to find ways to maintain a relationship between users and the sources they appreciate.

Preferred Sources partly addresses this challenge.

Rather than allowing the algorithm alone to decide which sources should be shown, Google now lets users clearly express their preferences.

By choosing a source, the user is essentially saying:

“I like this content and I’d like to keep seeing it.”

For a media outlet, specialized blog or company that regularly publishes expert content, this signal becomes interesting.

Is Google Preferred Sources becoming a new SEO tool?

This is probably the first question many SEO specialists will ask.

For now, the answer is: not directly, at least not based on what Google has publicly confirmed.

Google indicates that a source selected by a user is more likely to be highlighted for that user.

So, first and foremost, this is a personalization mechanism.

Nothing in the current official documentation allows us to say that the number of people who add a website to their Google Preferred Sources improves its ranking for all users.

In other words, if 10,000 people choose a website as a preferred source, we cannot conclude that it will automatically benefit from better organic rankings for other users.

That would go beyond what Google is saying today.

But the signal remains interesting

Even if Google Preferred Sources is not officially a global ranking factor, the nature of the signal still deserves our attention.

A user who voluntarily clicks to add a website to their preferred sources is doing something very different from simply clicking a search result.

They are directly telling Google that they value this source and want to see it again.

In an environment where Google is constantly trying to better understand which sources are relevant, reliable and appreciated for different topics, this kind of information could become increasingly useful.

That does not mean Google will necessarily use the number of Preferred Sources as an SEO factor.

In fact, it would be surprising if a simple click count became an important ranking signal. A system that simple would be far too easy to manipulate.

But it is reasonable to think that Google is placing increasing importance on signals that help it better understand the relationship between a source, its content and its audience.

Preferred Sources is now part of that.

An interesting tool for staying visible with your audience

In the short term, this is probably where the most concrete value lies.

A company that regularly produces content can give its readers a simple way to tell Google that they want to continue seeing its publications.

Even if only a few people use the button at first, those users are probably among the most interested in the brand’s content.

It is therefore another way to remain visible to an already engaged audience.

For a website that publishes very little content, the impact will obviously be limited.

But for a company that relies on articles, analyses, news or guides to build its expertise and online visibility, the integration is certainly worth considering.

Especially since Google now directly provides the code and documentation needed to add the button.

A feature worth watching closely

Google Preferred Sources obviously does not replace an SEO strategy.

Content quality, website authority, technical structure, reputation and the ability to genuinely address search intent remain essential.

But the way Google has been developing Preferred Sources over the past year is interesting.

The feature was first associated with Top Stories. It was then expanded to more markets, integrated into AI Overviews and AI Mode, and now Google is giving publishers a direct tool to encourage readers to make them preferred sources.

At the very least, this evolution shows that Google places importance on the concept.

Will Preferred Sources remain primarily a personalization tool?

Or could these preferences eventually help Google better understand the real authority and popularity of a source within a specific field?

As of late August 2026, we do not yet have that answer.

But as Google gives artificial intelligence a larger role in its results and traditional clicks become less systematic, a brand’s ability to be recognized directly as a source users want to see again could become an increasingly valuable advantage.

In fact, one small click just below could help you find us more often in your Google search results.

The article Google Preferred Sources: A Way to Gain Visibility in Search first appeared on Acxcom.

What is a purchase journey?

The purchase journey represents the different steps a person takes before becoming a customer. For an online store, it may look like this: Arrival on the website – product view – add to cart – checkout started – purchase. Depending on the business, this journey may also include an internal search, comparing several products, checking shipping costs, creating an account or returning to the site a few days later. The goal is not only to count sales. It is also important to understand what happens before the sale, or before the purchase is abandoned.

Traffic does not tell the whole story

When an online store generates few sales, the first instinct is often to look for more visitors. Businesses think about SEO, social media, advertising or newsletters. These efforts may be necessary. A little-known website cannot generate a high volume of sales. But an online store may also already be receiving traffic without converting enough visitors. In that case, paying to attract even more people does not necessarily solve the real problem. It is a little like

bringing more customers into a store where it is difficult to find products, understand the offer or complete a purchase. Improving the purchase journey can also produce significant results. According to Baymard’s research, an average large e-commerce site could increase its conversion rate by approximately 35% by correcting checkout-related design issues alone. This is potential observed in their research, not a guaranteed result for every online store.

Where are sales being lost?

We often talk about abandoned carts, but visitors can leave well before reaching that stage. A person may arrive on the site without exploring any products. In that case, the landing page, navigation, website speed or quality of the traffic may be the issue. They may also view a product without adding it to their cart. The clarity of the product page, photos, price, availability, features, reviews and shipping information should then be examined. When a product is added to the cart but checkout does not begin, the person may want more time to think or compare options. They may also have discovered unexpected fees or failed to find the information they needed to make a decision. Finally, someone may begin checkout without completing it. A form that is too long, mandatory account creation, a missing payment method, a technical error or a poor mobile experience may be enough to lose the sale. Additional costs are among the leading causes of abandonment. In one Baymard study, 39% of respondents mentioned unexpected costs, such as shipping or taxes, among the reasons they left. A checkout process that was too long or complicated was cited by 18%.

Viewing the journey as a funnel

A purchase journey can be represented as a funnel: 1,000 visitors – 450 product views – 120 additions to cart – 55 checkouts started – 30 purchases. This makes it possible to quickly see where the largest drop-off occurs:

• If few visitors view products, the navigation and landing pages should be examined
• If products are viewed but rarely added to the cart, the issue may lie with product pages, pricing or the offer
• If several carts are created but few people begin checkout, fees, cart clarity or hesitation before the purchase should be examined
• If checkouts are frequently started but not completed, the checkout process becomes the priority

The funnel shows where people leave, but not always why. The data can be supplemented with heatmaps, anonymized session recordings, internal search analysis, payment errors or short surveys. The numbers show where to look. Observation then helps determine what should be corrected.

Improve the journey before remarketing

The first strategy should not always be to follow visitors with emails and advertising. The priority should first be to reduce the reasons that make them leave. This may mean clarifying categories, improving search, adding information to product pages, presenting fees earlier, making buttons more visible or simplifying the cart. A few changes to the checkout process can also make a difference: reducing the number of fields, allowing guest checkout, offering the expected payment methods and ensuring that the process works smoothly on mobile devices. It may also be useful to allow a person to retrieve their cart when they return later. Sometimes, the best way to recover an abandoned cart is simply to provide a journey that gives people fewer reasons to leave.

Re-engaging people who are still interested

An abandonment does not always mean that the person has lost interest. They may have been interrupted, wanted to compare options or simply decided to postpone their decision. When an email address is known, the store can send a reminder featuring the products left in the cart and a link allowing the person to resume their purchase. Remarketing can also be done through Google, YouTube, Facebook or Instagram. Some platforms also make it possible to use text messages, notifications, back-in-stock reminders or price-drop alerts. The follow-up should, however, reflect the level of interest demonstrated. Someone who only viewed a product page should not receive the same message as someone who almost completed checkout.

A short sequence rather than a single message

A first email can simply remind the person that their cart is still available. A second can address possible concerns about shipping, warranties, returns or availability. A third can offer assistance or, when appropriate, a special offer. A discount should not be automatic. If an online store always sends a promotional code after an abandonment, it may teach customers that it is better to wait before making a purchase. The sequence should also stop as soon as the transaction is completed.

Tools vary by platform

The available options are not the same for every online store. Shopify directly provides statistics on abandoned orders and checkouts, as well as various marketing automation features. Wix Stores also includes cart reports and automated follow-up features. WooCommerce offers a great deal of flexibility, but often requires functions to be added separately. A plugin or configuration in Google Tag Manager can be used to measure the purchase journey. Another plugin can record abandoned carts and automate certain follow-ups. Other platforms, such as BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce, as well as specialized email marketing solutions, may also distinguish between product views, additions to cart, checkouts started or back-in-stock requests. The goal is not to add as many tools as possible. The right tools should be selected based on the store’s volume, its products and the way its customers shop.

A purchase journey that respects privacy

Ad blockers, cookie restrictions and consent rules can limit some data collection. Businesses therefore need to pay greater attention to information collected directly, such as purchases, customer accounts, sign-ups and quote requests. Measurement and remarketing tools must also comply with applicable laws. When adding a new tag, advertising pixel or analytics solution, it is also important to update the consent banner and privacy policy so visitors are properly informed about the data being collected and how it is used. Better measurement does not mean collecting everything. The priority is to determine which data is useful and respect visitors’ choices.

Where should you start?

Improving the purchase journey does not need to become a massive project. A business can begin by defining the main steps, checking what is already being measured and configuring any missing events. After a few weeks, it becomes possible to identify the stage where the greatest losses occur and correct one or two issues at a time. Follow-up strategies can then be added where they are truly useful. The goal is not to build the largest dashboard possible. It is to understand where opportunities are being lost and what can be done to recover some of them.

Does your online store really guide visitors all the way to the purchase?

Attracting visitors is important. But you also need to help them find what they are looking for, build their confidence and make it easy for them to complete a purchase. Acxcom can help you define your purchase journey, measure its key stages, identify drop-offs and choose the right tools for improvement and remarketing. Tell us about your online store. We will help you better understand what happens between the visit and the sale.

Did you know? Viewing the purchase journey in Google Analytics

GA4 can provide a report showing how many people view a product, add it to their cart, begin checkout and complete their purchase. Results can be compared based on traffic source, device, campaign, product or category. Google Analytics does not always detect these actions automatically, however. The website must send the necessary e-commerce events to GA4. Depending on the platform, this setup may involve a native integration, a plugin, Google Tag Manager or a custom implementation. The report may therefore be visible in GA4 while remaining empty if the events have never been configured.

The article Online Purchase Journey: Understand, Measure and Improve first appeared on Acxcom.

What Is a Zero-Click Search?

A zero-click search occurs when someone performs a search without clicking on a result that leads to another website. They may have found their answer directly on Google. They may also have viewed a map, consulted a business profile, placed a call, performed another search, or simply abandoned their search. The figures vary depending on the studies and the calculation method used. However, a study published by SparkToro and Datos estimated that approximately 58.5% of Google searches in the United States and 59.7% in the European Union did not generate a click to an external website. These figures should still be viewed with some perspective. A zero-click search does not always mean that Google answered the question perfectly. In many cases, the person simply continues their search in another way. The fairest way to present the situation would therefore be as follows: depending on the calculation method used, approximately one in two Google searches may now end without a click to a website. The zero-click search phenomenon is not new. However, AI-generated answers may intensify it.

Do AI-Generated Answers Reduce Clicks?

A Pew Research Center study analyzed the browsing behaviour of 900 American adults in March 2025. When an AI-generated summary appeared in Google results, users clicked on a traditional result in 8% of the visits observed. When this type of summary was not present, the rate increased to 15%. Sources cited directly in the generated answers also received very few clicks. This study does not mean that every website will lose half of its traffic. It does, however, confirm a clear trend: the more complete an answer Google provides directly in its results, the less need the user has to click. For a business leader, the real issue therefore goes beyond a simple decline in traffic.

The Real Risk: Being Absent from the Answer

Imagine that a prospective client is searching for the best solution to their problem, comparing two services, or trying to understand how much a project might cost. An AI-generated answer can give them a useful overview. It may also mention certain businesses, repeat their arguments, or use their content to explain the topic. Your prospective client may therefore begin forming an opinion before even visiting your website. The real question then becomes: If your prospective client gets their answer without visiting your website, will your business still be part of that answer? If your business is absent, a competitor may take its place. If your services are poorly explained, search engines may misunderstand what you do. If your content is too vague, it will have little chance of being used or cited. Zero-click search is therefore not only a matter of website visits. It is also a positioning issue.

Your Digital Presence Begins Before the Click

For a long time, website performance was assessed mainly by looking at the number of visits, pages viewed, and forms submitted. These metrics are still useful, but they no longer tell the whole story. Before even reaching your website, a potential client may already know what you do, where you operate, who you serve, and what sets you apart. They may also have read reviews, viewed your Google Business Profile, or compared your business with others. This first impression can now take shape on Google, in a video, in a social media post, or in an answer provided by an artificial intelligence tool. In other words, your digital presence begins before the click. And that is precisely why the content on your website is becoming even more important.

Your Website Supports Your Visibility Elsewhere

A website is no longer intended only for visitors who consult it directly. It also serves as a source of information for search engines and artificial intelligence tools. A strong service page should clearly explain what is offered, who the service is intended for, which problems it solves, how the process works, and why the business is credible. Google also confirms that the fundamentals of SEO remain relevant to its generative search features. A page must be crawlable, understandable, and indexable. Its content must also be useful, clear, and distinctive. SEO is therefore not being replaced by artificial intelligence. It simply needs to adapt to a more conversational search environment.

The Website Remains Essential

An AI-generated answer can summarize information. It does not always replace the level of trust required before an important decision. When someone needs to choose an agency, a professional, or a supplier, they generally want to go further. They want to see past work, case studies, the team, the work process, and the overall quality of the business. The website remains the place where an organization fully controls its image, its message, and its conversion journey. Its role is now twofold: to convince visitors who arrive on the website and to provide a clear information base so that search engines can represent the business accurately elsewhere.

Less Traffic Does Not Necessarily Mean Fewer Clients

A decline in organic traffic can be concerning, but it should never be analyzed on its own. Not all visits have the same value. Losing 500 visits from people looking for a general definition does not have the same impact as losing 20 visitors who were actively comparing suppliers. Some simple questions can now be answered directly on Google. Users with a more complex need may still visit the websites of businesses they have discovered and arrive with a clearer idea of what they are looking for. Google also states that clicks from certain AI-powered search experiences may be more qualified. Because this claim comes from Google, it should be considered with some caution. It nevertheless highlights an important point: traffic volume alone is not enough to measure the quality of business opportunities. A business may therefore lose part of its traffic while maintaining its quote requests, calls, or sales.

You Need to Look Beyond Traffic

Organic traffic remains important, but it must be considered alongside other indicators. These include the number of quote requests, lead quality, phone calls, appointments, searches made directly using the business name, and the performance of service pages. Local visibility also matters greatly. A business should verify whether it appears when people search for a provider in its region. It is also becoming relevant to observe how the business is presented on Google, ChatGPT, and other answer engines. Is it mentioned? Are its services clearly explained? Are competitors more visible? This measurement is still imperfect, but it is becoming increasingly important.

How Can You Help Search Engines Better Understand Your Business?

There is no formula that guarantees a business will be cited in an AI-generated answer. However, certain practices can improve the quality and clarity of its content.

• Important services should first have their own dedicated page. A single page that groups everything together rarely provides enough detail to answer users’ specific questions.
• Content should also be based on the real questions clients ask. Conversations with the sales team, phone calls, and quote requests are often the best sources of ideas.
• Businesses should then demonstrate concrete expertise. They benefit from sharing their methods, observations, examples, and results rather than publishing content that is too general.
• Information structure also matters. Clear headings, direct answers, and well-organized pages make content easier to read for both people and search engines.
• Structured data can also help Google understand certain information, although it does not guarantee better visibility in generated answers.
• Finally, important information should remain consistent from one platform to another: business name, services, contact details, service areas, and other basic information.

Do Not Write for Robots

The rise of AI is pushing some businesses to produce large amounts of content quickly. The problem is that content that is too generic or repetitive may fail to provide anything genuinely useful. The best content should be easy for a person to understand while remaining clear and well structured enough to be interpreted by a search engine. There is therefore no need to choose between writing quality and technical structure. The two should work together.

Is It Still Worth Investing in Your Website?

Yes. Businesses simply need to stop viewing the website only as a destination. The website is also a knowledge base about the business. The more search engines answer users directly, the more they need reliable and well-organized sources. Reducing content efforts because people are clicking less could therefore have the opposite effect. A business that publishes less information also gives search engines less material to understand it accurately. The right approach is not to keep publishing more. It is to explain services more clearly, demonstrate expertise, and answer the questions prospective clients are genuinely asking. Your website remains at the heart of your digital presence. It must convince the people who visit it, while also providing search engines and artificial intelligence tools with the right information to understand and represent your business accurately. In a context where part of the decision-making process now takes place before the click, it is becoming important to verify what Google and answer engines truly understand about your services, expertise, and positioning. A visibility audit can help identify the strengths of your current presence, the information that is missing, and the opportunities to be better understood, better referenced, and more frequently included in the answers consulted by your prospective clients. Acxcom can help you carry out this work and adapt your website to this new way of searching, comparing, and choosing.

The article Zero-Click Search: Is Your Business Still Visible on Google? first appeared on Acxcom.

What is ChatGPT Ads?

A recent platform, but already structured

A less saturated placement than the major platforms

Cost per click can be interesting

A different advertising context: conversation

Still limited targeting, especially for local markets

Results to analyze according to context

Who can ChatGPT Ads be a good fit for?

Real opportunity or just another advertising trend?

Want to know whether ChatGPT Ads could be a good fit for your market?

The article ChatGPT Ads in Canada: Real Opportunity or Just Another Advertising Trend? first appeared on Acxcom.

1. Improving the visitor experience (UX)

The first area focuses on the experience of visitors using the website. Artificial intelligence can make navigation far more intuitive by helping users quickly find the information they are looking for. For example, an intelligent search engine can understand questions written in natural language and direct visitors to the most relevant pages. AI can also analyze user behavior and adapt the experience based on their interests, suggesting content or services that may be relevant to them. The goal is to reduce friction in the user journey and transform the website into a more interactive environment capable of responding more effectively to visitors’ needs.

2. Facilitating interactions with customers

A website can also become a true service tool for customers. Artificial intelligence can automate or simplify certain interactions that would normally require the involvement of an employee. For example, an intelligent form can analyze a request and automatically generate an initial estimate or route the request to the appropriate department. In some cases, AI can also assist users in booking appointments, answering questions about a product, or helping a client track the progress of an order or project. These features contribute to delivering a smoother customer experience while reducing the workload of internal teams.

3. Improving internal productivity

The integration of AI is not limited to website visitors. It can also transform the tools employees use on a daily basis. Within an extranet or an internal portal, artificial intelligence can be used to automatically analyze and classify client requests, summarize documents, or extract key information from reports. It can also assist teams in drafting responses, analyzing data, or preparing documents. In this context, integrating AI becomes a powerful productivity tool that helps reduce repetitive tasks and optimize the time spent by employees.

4. Leveraging data to improve decision-making

Websites and digital platforms now generate a large volume of data: visitor behavior, form interactions, client requests, or sales-related information. Artificial intelligence can centralize and analyze this information in order to identify trends, detect opportunities, or highlight areas for improvement within business processes. It can also help managers better understand what is happening on their website or within their operations. In this perspective, a website is no longer simply a digital showcase. It gradually becomes a strategic tool capable of supporting better decision-making.

Integrating AI: towards smarter web platforms

Integrating AI into a website does not simply mean adding a tool or plugin. In many cases, these technologies must be integrated into the architecture of the site and connected to other company systems, such as a CRM, a database, or internal tools. This is why AI integration projects often rely on custom development and on connecting multiple platforms together. When properly implemented, artificial intelligence can transform a website into a true digital platform capable of automating certain tasks, improving the customer experience, and supporting business operations. At Acxcom, we develop and integrate artificial intelligence solutions into websites and digital platforms. If you would like to explore the possibilities for your business, let’s talk.

The article How to integrate AI into a business website first appeared on Acxcom.