A twist in Google's algorithm: 'standout' stories
By ERIC CARVIN
Associated Press
BOSTON - Google News has announced a twist in the automated news-feed algorithm: "featured" content selected from the stories it delivers every day.
Google announced Saturday that news organizations can add "standout" metadata tags to their best stories and the U.S. edition of Google News may include a "featured" label when it displays a link to the story. There's no guarantee "standout" stories will be featured, the company said.
If a news provider puts the standout tag on more than seven stories in a week, Google's algorithm won't factor in the tag from that company as much, or may ignore it, Google warned. News organizations can also use a standout tag to highlight strong work by other providers.
The plan was announced at the Online News Association conference in Boston.
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