Google Search Introduces New ‘Highly Cited’ Tag for Original Source Sites

At the beginning of April, Google announced the launch of a set of new features. One of these involves marking frequently cited resources with a label called ‘highly cited’. The implementation of this criterion will positively impact the way the information delivery system operates. Users who work with Google Search will have the ability to easily evaluate the quality of information published on various resources. They will also be able to find original sources among secondary content pages without any hassle or special skills.

Frequently cited sites will automatically appear in Top Stories. Google representatives justify the implementation of this innovation by stating that “with each subsequent interpretation, the reliability of originally received facts, albeit minimally, decreases. The ‘highly cited’ feature is a crucial step in combating manipulation and misinformation. Modern individuals live in an information society, and they not only have the right to free access to data but also deserve to receive the most useful and relevant materials”.

The ‘highly cited’ label will be placed directly in the preview of articles, announcements, news, ads, press releases, and other resources. The main criterion for being awarded this label is that other authors use the site as a source of information when writing their own works.

When original source pages take priority positions in search rankings, it will be easier for readers to get directly to journalists, publicists, publishers, and other authoritative content creators.

English-speaking users will be the first to test this feature, and it will happen quite soon. However, the company does not plan to stop with the English-speaking segment of Google Search users; there are plans for a global rollout. It is also known that initially, the expansion will only apply to mobile devices.

Among other things, it is worth noting that Google is modernizing the feature for identifying sites with dangerous or unacceptable content (like spam, malicious software, etc.), which was activated last summer. Previously, web resources with security issues might simply not show up in Google Search results. Now, when working with the search engine in English, users will see a warning that the information on this platform is controversial in nature. They may choose to ignore the advice (still follow the link) or heed it (refrain from further interaction until more clarifications are received).

Additionally, it should not be forgotten about a special tool created by Google – Fact Check Explorer. On the server, more than 200,000 checks and expert conclusions from the most demanded and authoritative publishers in the world are collected.