Google has extended another olive branch to news outlets in a bid to smooth things over with publishers. Soon, users who subscribe to digital newspapers and magazines will see articles from those titles appear higher in their search results. According to Bloomberg, people familiar with the matter also revealed that the search engine also plans to share data showing who's most likely to buy a subscription, in a bid to help publishers better target potential subscribers. Execs allegedly plan to disclose exact details at an event on March 20th.
The move comes after Google relaxed its "first click free" policy last year and announced its plans to share revenue with publishers that make use of its new subscription tools. The company has previously come under fire from news outlets that claimed they were at the mercy of the search engine, but recent steps from Google -- including this one -- show it's keen to rectify matters. Of course, it's not switching things up out of the sheer goodness of its heart. At a time when fake news is rampant, people are looking for trusted journalism, and that's a demand that can be capitalized on.
The move comes after Google relaxed its "first click free" policy last year and announced its plans to share revenue with publishers that make use of its new subscription tools. The company has previously come under fire from news outlets that claimed they were at the mercy of the search engine, but recent steps from Google -- including this one -- show it's keen to rectify matters. Of course, it's not switching things up out of the sheer goodness of its heart. At a time when fake news is rampant, people are looking for trusted journalism, and that's a demand that can be capitalized on.