What changed
On October 15, 2026, Google announced a set of updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews meant to send people from AI answers to websites more easily. Hema Budaraju, VP of Product Management, outlined five changes:
- More inline links: Links embedded in words or phrases inside AI responses are appearing more often, and more frequently near the top of answers.
- Official site section (test): For tasks where only one or two official pages will do, Google is testing a dedicated section at the top of a response, with a note on why each link helps.
- Wider news carousels: Carousels for timely articles are rolling out to more locations and languages, and they highlight a user’s Preferred Sources.
- Richer related links: Links at the end of some AI responses now get image thumbnails and a more clickable design.
- Creator profiles (test): Creator and publisher names on video results in AI Mode can link to their Search profiles.
Google (The Keyword, Search) put the first change this way:
We’ve made continued and substantial increases to the presence of inline links in our AI experiences.
Google also said use of its Preferred Sources feature has grown more than 7x since the start of the year.
Why it matters
Many owners worry that AI answers keep people on Google instead of sending them to their sites. These updates point the other way, with more clickable spots inside and around AI responses. If your site is the official place to book, buy, register, or get support, the test section could put you right at the top. Visual elements like thumbnails and carousels also mean how your pages look in results may count for more.
What to do
- Make your official pages obvious. Give key task pages, such as booking, ordering, and support, clear titles and plain descriptions of what visitors can do there.
- Use strong images. Related links now show thumbnails, so choose relevant, high-quality featured images for articles and pages.
- Ask loyal readers to add you as a Preferred Source. If you publish news or timely content, this can help your coverage stand out in carousels.
- Set up a Search profile if you’re eligible. Video creators and publishers should check Google’s guidance on Search profiles.
- Watch your traffic. Track visits from Google over the coming months to see whether these changes bring more clicks to your site.
Source: More ways to connect with the web from Search, Google (The Keyword, Search). This brief sums up their reporting; all credit for the original goes to them.
