Google just made you a search quality rater. You won't get paid

Google is replacing link-based ranking signals with user ratings and "preferred sources" feedback to train its AI search results, effectively converting users into unpaid search quality raters. As AI-generated zero-click answers eliminate the incentive for publishers to create content and build links—which Google's algorithm has relied on for 20+ years—the search giant faces a critical supply problem requiring new ranking signals. This shift risks creating an echo chamber of misinformation, as the traditional mechanisms that incentivized content creation and linked sources disappear.