Google says it is showing inline links higher up in AI Overviews and AI Mode responses more often. Hema Budaraju, its VP of product management for Search, wrote the Oct. 15 post. Two other changes are tests: an official-sites section at the top of answers, and clickable creator names on video results.
What is rolling out
Google's post says it has made "continued and substantial increases" to inline links, meaning links embedded in words or phrases of an AI answer. It is also launching updates that show them higher in responses more frequently. Search Engine Journal notes the post gives no figure for the size of the increase.
Google also says it is starting to roll out its prominent carousels for timely articles to additional locations and languages globally. The post does not name them, Search Engine Journal notes. Google introduced the carousels on May 27, and they highlight your Preferred Sources.
The post adds that links at the end of some AI responses are getting image thumbnails and a more clickable design.
What is only a test
Google says it will be testing a display for cases where only one or two official sites can complete a task or give the exact information. It would put those links in a dedicated section at the top of a response, with context on why each is useful. Google's Oct. 15 post gives no expansion date.
Google also says it started testing clickable creator and publisher names on AI Mode video results, linking to their Search profiles. The post does not say where the test runs. Google's help page says profiles are available in the US, Canada and India, for creators with at least 10,000 followers on YouTube, Instagram, X or TikTok.
How to set Preferred Sources
Per Google's help page, sign in on google.com or in the Google app, select your profile picture, then open Search personalization and Source preferences. Search for a site, tick its checkbox, and your picks appear under "Your sources." The page says choosing sources there also tailors Top Stories.
Google says Preferred Sources use has grown by more than 7x since the start of the year. In its May post, Google said sources you picked are labeled "Preferred" in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and that people are twice as likely to click through to one. Both figures are Google's own.
What analysts note
Search Engine Journal reports that Search Console gives all links within an AI Overview one position in search results. Moving an inline link higher in the response therefore does not alone change its reported position, the outlet says. It also says Google's post gives no explanation of how the 7x growth was measured.
Why it matters
Our assessment: only the link placement, the carousels and the end-of-answer design are described as changes now. The official-sites section and creator links are tests, so what you see in AI Mode may differ from what someone else sees. Preferred Sources is the one control Google's help page gives you today for which sites get highlighted.
