Google Revamps Link Display in Its AI Responses

Three months after the launch of AI summaries in France, reports indicate a decline in clicks to websites and citations deemed insufficient by some publishers. Google, in parallel, announces changes to make links more visible in AI Overviews and AI Mode, as well as tests for dedicated sections for official sites. The company also highlights the progress of Preferred Sources and the expansion of its News AI program, which now compensates 400 publishers.

In France, declining clicks and contested citations

The first data published since the arrival of AI summaries in France on July 22 indicates an unfavorable impact for websites. According to Ahrefs, publishers whose more than one in five queries trigger an automated overview have seen their click-through rate drop by 23% in the nine days following the rollout, without losing positions in traditional search results. Other reports highlight the low representation of certain media in these modules: The Black Room, analyzing 25,000 queries, notes that well-positioned titles, such as Le Monde and Radio France, almost never appear in AI Overviews.

The issue has also taken on a legal dimension. In August, the Alliance of General Information Press filed a complaint with the Competition Authority. The organization believes that Google has not honored its negotiation commitments made in 2022 regarding neighboring rights.

Google increases the number of links displayed in its AI responses

Google announces a new wave of five updates to its generative search. The company claims to have significantly increased the volume of links embedded in the text of responses and indicates that they will now appear more frequently at the top of these blocks. For queries where one or two official sites provide a reliable answer or complete a process, a specific display is being tested: the relevant links are grouped in a dedicated section placed at the top, accompanied by an explanation of their usefulness. An example given is a request for a refund from an airline.

The presentation of links is also evolving elsewhere. References to related articles, placed at the end of certain responses, are gaining a thumbnail and a more click-incentivizing design. Since this week, Google is experimenting in AI Mode with the appearance of creator and publisher names on videos in the form of clickable links that redirect to their Search profile. Additionally, the news article carousels announced in May are now being rolled out in more countries and languages, highlighting media identified via Preferred Sources.

Preferred Sources on the rise and 400 publishers compensated via News AI

Google links these changes to an increased use of tools that allow each internet user to prioritize their preferred media. According to the company, the audience for Preferred Sources has increased more than sevenfold since the beginning of the year.

Regarding the compensation for content used for its developments, the group highlights its pilot program News AI. Google states that 400 publishers are now participating. The program provides financial compensation in exchange for enriched content used to design new AI features. Among the latest partners mentioned are Axios, CNN, and the Financial Times.