As first noticed by Michael Dorausch, and later expanded on by Michael Gray, Google has very recently begun showing Wikipedia as a news source on Google News.

Little has been said about this until today, when Google’s Gabriel Stricker confirmed to the Nieman Journalism Lab that it’s part of a small experiment on Google’s part:

“Currently, we’re showing a small number of users links to Wikipedia topic pages that serve as a reference on current events.”

Many SEOs have railed for years against Google’s apparent love for Wikipedia, as evidenced by how often Wikipedia ranks at the top of Google’s search results. But it’s hard to argue with the idea that many Wikipedia pages — which are often more comprehensive and updated more quickly than some news sites — offer background and context on current events that could be beneficial to Google News users.

There’s more discussion on Techmeme.

Related Topics: Google: News

About The Author: Matt McGee is Search Engine Land's Executive News Editor, responsible for overseeing our daily news coverage. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. His web career continues to include a small number of SEO and social media consulting clients, as well as regular speaking engagements at marketing events around the U.S. He blogs at Small Business Search Marketing and can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. See more articles by Matt McGee