Google Preferred Sources and SAM.gov Backlinks: One SEO Trick Is Real, One Is Risky

Google Preferred Sources is real and free: readers can star your site so it shows up more often for them in Top Stories. The SAM.gov backlink trick is the risky one. Google says .gov links get no special treatment, and ticking “small business” on SAM.gov is a legal representation to the US government.

What is Google Preferred Sources, and does it boost rankings?

It’s a personal setting: each reader taps the star next to Top Stories and picks the sites they want to see more often. It lifts you only for the people who pick you. Everyone else gets normal results, and Google notes that people who choose sources still get content from other sites.

Google launched it on August 12, 2025 in the US and India, opened it to English users worldwide in December 2025, and to all supported languages on April 30, 2026. Since May 2026, Google has been adding a “Preferred” label for chosen sites in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google says readers are twice as likely to click through to a site after picking it.

How do you get readers to pick your site as a preferred source?

Ask them, with a direct link. Google gives site owners a shareable URL and a button in its Search Central guide. Since it only works for people who pick you, treat it like growing any audience: give a reason, then make the step easy.

1. Check that your site has its own domain or subdomain; subfolders such as /blog are not eligible.
2. Share google.com/preferences/source?q= followed by your domain, or add Google’s button to your pages.
3. Ask in your newsletter, at the end of each article and in your social posts.
4. Keep publishing. Google says sources that aren’t updated regularly may not be available.

Does a SAM.gov listing give you a valuable .gov backlink?

No. SAM.gov is the federal registry for companies that want to bid on government contracts or apply for grants. Its website field is optional, and Google has said for years that a link doesn’t gain value just because it sits on a .gov domain.

In 2008, Google’s Matt Cutts said sites “don’t get any PageRank boost from having an .edu link or .gov link automatically.” In 2020, John Mueller said .gov links get no ranking preference. Google’s spam policies define link spam as creating links “primarily for the purpose of manipulating search rankings.” A registration made only for a link fits that definition.

Is it legal to tick “small business” on SAM.gov?

Only if your business truly qualifies. The SBA sets size limits by industry, based on employees or average annual receipts, and you must count your affiliates. Under 13 CFR 121.108, registering in a government database to be considered for small business awards counts as a willful certification of your size.

Misrepresenting small business status to win a federal contract can mean a fine of up to $500,000, up to 10 years in prison, or both, plus debarment from government work. Knowingly false statements to a federal agency are a separate crime under 18 U.S.C. 1001. The SBA also requires a small business to be located and operating in the US. If you don’t qualify, don’t tick the box. If you don’t want federal work, there’s no reason to register.

What works for SEO instead?

The plain basics. Google’s own SEO Starter Guide says “there’s much more to Google Search than just links” and calls PageRank one of many signals. Useful pages, clear titles and links people would actually click do most of the work.

• Write one page per question your customers ask, and answer it in the first lines.
• Give each page a unique title that describes its content.
• Earn links from partners, suppliers, local press and industry associations.

What do we do at 33 Genesis Road?

Here’s what we do: before we try any viral SEO trick, we check it against Google’s documentation and, when a government form is involved, the law. Then we spend the time on pages that answer customer questions and links from genuine partners.

Want us to look at your website’s SEO? Get a free audit, in less than 24 hours.

FAQ

Is Google Preferred Sources free?

Yes. Picking sources costs readers nothing, and the link and button Google offers site owners are free.

Can any website become a preferred source?

Google says any site that publishes fresh content is eligible, as long as it sits on its own domain or subdomain. Sites that rarely update may not appear in the tool.

Does SAM.gov registration cost money?

No. SAM.gov charges nothing to register or maintain a registration, and GSA says you don’t need to pay a third party.

Sources: Google, How to select your preferred sources in Top Stories in Search (August 12, 2025); Google, Preferred Sources in Top Stories is now available in English to all users around the world (December 16, 2025); Google, Preferred Sources now available in all languages (April 30, 2026); Google, New ways to find your favorite sources and original content in AI Search (May 27, 2026); Google Search Central, Help your readers find your site through preferred sources in Google Search (September 18, 2026); Google Search Help, Preferred Sources in Google Search (2026); Labnol, Text Links from .edu or .gov Domains Are Not Special to Google (November 10, 2008); Search Engine Journal, Does Google Favor .Gov and .Edu Sites? (February 11, 2020); Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search (August 28, 2026); SAM.gov, Entity Registration Checklist (2024); GSA, Register your business (2026); SBA, Size standards (July 28, 2026); Cornell LII, 13 CFR 121.108 (2026); US Code, 15 U.S.C. 645 (2024); US Code, 18 U.S.C. 1001 (2023); Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide (December 10, 2025)