On October 15, 2026 Google announced another round of changes to how links appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Here is a summary.
What changed
- Inline links move higher. Links inside the AI answer will show more often and closer to the top, so key sources are easier to click.
- A test: a section at the top of some answers with links to official sites for a specific task. Google has not said when this might expand.
- Article carousels are now showing in more countries and languages.
- Preferred Sources: to qualify in both AI Mode and AI Overviews, your site must be included in “Search generative AI features” in Search Console. (If you opted out there, you are out of this too. See our guide to the Search Console AI controls.)
- Another test for creators: in AI Mode video results, clicking a creator’s name takes you to a Google Search profile page first, not straight to their site.
The catch: no click data
Search Engine Roundtable notes Google will not show click data for these link changes. Search Console also gives all the links inside one AI Overview the same position. So even if your link moves up in the box, your reported position does not change. You will not easily see the effect in your reports.
Why it matters
AI Overviews are everywhere now. A DemandSphere dataset reported by Search Engine Land found them on more than 80% of tracked branded queries by late September. That study did not measure clicks, so we cannot say what it means for traffic. More visible links are good news for publishers, but remember some of these are still tests.
What to do
- Check that you are not opted out of generative AI features in Search Console, if you want to be included.
- Watch your impressions and clicks for pages that often appear in AI answers, and compare them over time. Do not rely on position.
- Keep your pages clear about who wrote them and what sources they use, since Google says it wants to show more context.
- Do not change your whole strategy for a test that Google has not yet rolled out.
