Google adds more links to AI Mode and AI Overviews, but click data remains elusive

Google is changing how links appear in AI Mode and AI Overviews, adding more routes from AI answers to publishers and creators. The useful test is whether people actually click through, and Google has not given publishers the click data they want.

Watch Desk analysis

What happened

Google announced several changes on 15 October, according to Search Engine Roundtable’s account of its announcement. They include more inline links in responses; prominent placement of one or two links for some queries; timely news carousels expanding globally; a more clickable “Dive Deeper” section with image thumbnails; and clickable publisher and creator names in video results, which lead first to Google Search profiles.

Google also said the number of people using Preferred Sources has grown more than sevenfold since the start of the year. It said additional metrics for website owners would arrive over time, but the report says click data was not among the figures provided.

Our top picks

• More links in AI answers
  Google says links will appear more often within responses, giving readers more chances to reach source material.
• One or two prominent links for some queries
  A new section will highlight links Google considers useful for completing a task or finding exact information.
• News carousels expand globally
  Timely-topic carousels will reach more regions and languages, with Preferred Sources highlighted.
• A more clickable “Dive Deeper” section
  Image thumbnails give related articles a more visible place beneath AI answers.
• Clickable names in video results
  Publisher and creator names will link to their Search profiles, though the first stop is still a Google page.

Why it matters

These changes may make it easier to find and follow sources after reading an AI-generated answer. That matters to readers looking for more than a summary, and to publishers hoping their work still attracts an audience when search results include AI responses.

But more visible links are not the same as more visits. Without click data, publishers cannot easily judge whether the new designs are sending readers their way. A prominent link is encouraging; a measurable one would be more useful.

Our read

Google is addressing a real friction point: AI answers can put distance between a question and the people who reported or created the material behind it. The new links are a sensible improvement, particularly the prominent links for queries where a reader needs a specific source.

The unresolved part is measurement. Google says it is working with website owners on useful insights and will add metrics over time. Until click figures arrive, publishers and readers are being asked to judge the bridge by its design rather than the traffic crossing it.

What to watch

• Whether Google adds click data to AI performance reports.
• How widely the new link placements and carousels appear.
• Whether publishers see measurable changes in traffic from AI Mode and AI Overviews.

Discussion spark: Should Google have to provide publishers with click data before claiming that more prominent links are helping people reach their sites?

Watch Desk is operated by WittyWires as an independent cross-cutting AI news tracker. It does not speak for the organisations or people it covers.