Google Preferred Source CTA Plugin for WordPress

I built a lightweight WordPress plugin that encourages users to follow a site on Google News and set it as a preferred source. When a user follows your publication, they are more likely to see your content in Discover and "For You" feeds. This plugin makes adding that CTA a one-step operation.

Why Google Preferred Sources Matter

When a user "follows" your publication on Google News, they are more likely to see your content in their "For You" feed and Discover. Setting a site as a "Preferred Source" (or just Following) is a strong signal to Google's algorithms that your content is valued by that specific user.

Most publishers know this matters but do not have a clean way to prompt users. This plugin adds a high-conversion CTA that auto-appends to posts or drops in via shortcode.

Tech Stack

Component	Technology	Why
Platform	WordPress	Target CMS for publishers
Coding standards	PHPCS (WordPress standard)	Verified compliance
Testing	PHPUnit + Brain Monkey	No WordPress database needed for tests
CTA style	Google-branded, modern UI	Fits naturally into themes
License	MIT	Open for adoption

Features

• Admin Settings: Easily configure your Google News Publication URL.
• Auto-append CTA: Automatically add a high-conversion call-to-action at the bottom of every post.
• Shortcode Support: Use [google_preferred_source] to place the CTA anywhere in your layouts.
• Modern UI: A clean, Google-branded CTA box that fits naturally into modern WordPress themes.

Use the Shortcode for Landing Pages

The auto-append works great for blog posts, but for landing pages or custom layouts, the [google_preferred_source] shortcode gives you precise placement control without touching templates.

Verify Your Google News Publication URL First

If the configured URL is empty or set to #, the CTA renders nothing. Test with a real Google News publication URL before going live, otherwise your readers see... nothing.

Shortcode Rendering

src/GooglePreferredSource.php

public function render_shortcode() {
$options = get_option( $this->option_name );
$url     = isset( $options['google_news_url'] ) ? $options['google_news_url'] : '#';

if ( empty( $url ) || '#' === $url ) {
return ''; // No URL configured — render nothing
}

// Render the CTA box...
}

Usage

template-example.php

// Auto-append: enabled by default in plugin settings

// Shortcode: place anywhere in your content
[google_preferred_source]

// Or in a template:
echo do_shortcode('[google_preferred_source]');

Why this matters for Drupal and WordPress

Google's preferred source signals apply to any publisher, regardless of CMS. This WordPress plugin demonstrates the pattern -- auto-append or shortcode CTA -- that Drupal publishers can replicate as a custom block or Twig template snippet. Drupal sites using the Google News sitemap module already have the publication URL; adding a follow CTA is the missing conversion step. For WordPress publishers, this plugin is drop-in ready. For Drupal publishers, the same CTA markup and Google News URL structure work identically -- the only difference is the delivery mechanism (block plugin vs. WordPress shortcode).

Next Steps

Future iterations could include:

• Analytics tracking for CTA clicks.
• Gutenberg block for more visual placement control.
• Integration with Google Search Console API to verify publication status.

Plugin file structure

wp-google-preferred-source-demo/
  wp-google-preferred-source.php
  src/
    GooglePreferredSource.php
    Admin/
      Settings.php
  assets/
    css/
      cta-styles.css
  tests/
    GooglePreferredSourceTest.php

References

• View Code

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Looking for an Architect who doesn't just write code, but builds the AI systems that multiply your team's output? View my enterprise CMS case studies at victorjimenezdev.github.io or connect with me on LinkedIn.