The news
On 15 October 2026, Google announced changes to how the AI answers in its search engine point to websites. In AI Mode and AI Overviews, links inside the answer text will appear higher up and more often. Google says the number of these inline links has already grown substantially, but gave no figures.
Google is also testing a section at the top of some AI answers that highlights official websites. It appears when only one or two official sites can complete a task or give a specific piece of information, and each link comes with a short note on why it is useful. The links at the end of some answers are getting image thumbnails and a design that is easier to click.
Carousels of recent news articles, which feature the sources people have chosen as preferred, are rolling out to more countries and languages, which Google did not name. Google says use of Preferred Sources has grown more than sevenfold since the start of the year. In AI Mode video results, it is testing clickable creator and publisher names that open a Search profile.
Google did not say whether the changes will send more visitors to websites. The official-site section and the creator profiles are tests, not full launches.
What it means for you
- If customers search for something only your site can do, such as booking with you or tracking an order, Google may now send them straight to your website from the top of the answer.
- Pages that state clearly what they offer are easier for an AI answer to link to than vague ones.
- Google gave no traffic figures, so judge the effect by your own numbers, not by the announcement.
What to do now
- Search for your business and your main services in AI Mode, and note which sites the answer links to.
- Give your booking, ordering, pricing and contact pages plain titles that say what each page does.
- In Google Search Console, compare clicks from Google for the weeks before and after 15 October.
How Didset can help
We build websites and AI tools with clear, well-structured pages, so search engines and AI answers can understand what you offer and link to it.
Talk to us about it
