Google Updates AI Search to Display Inline Links Higher Amid Publisher Traffic Concerns

Google Elevates Inline Links in AI-Powered Search Features

Google is updating its AI Overviews and AI Mode to display inline links higher up in AI-generated responses more frequently, according to a recent company announcement1

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. The tech giant stated it has been making "continued and substantial increases to the presence of inline links in our AI experiences" to ensure key sources are easily clickable right when users need them1

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. This shift addresses mounting publisher concerns about reduced organic traffic since Google began integrating AI-powered Search features into its results over two years ago4

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New Link Visibility Features Across AI Search Experiences

Google is testing several features to improve link visibility across its AI search ecosystem. For sites that serve as official sources for specific tasks—such as airline refund queries—Google is testing a dedicated section at the top of AI Mode responses that surfaces relevant links with context explaining their importance1

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. The company is also enhancing the "Dive Deeper" section at the end of AI-generated responses with image thumbnails and a more clickable design to make these prominent source links more engaging3

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Expanding Link Carousels and Preferred Sources Globally

The link carousels for timely articles, initially announced in May, are now rolling out to additional locations and languages worldwide1

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. These carousels display headlines with images for relevant articles directly below AI Overviews4

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. The algorithm will prioritize coverage from preferred sources that users have previously identified, with usage of this customization feature growing 7x since its launch3

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. Google is also testing clickable creator and publisher names in video results that redirect to publisher profiles, currently available in the US for creators with sizable followings2

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Publisher Concerns Over Declining Organic Traffic

These updates come as publishers face significant traffic losses from Google AI search features. According to consultancy Chartbeat, news website publishers saw a 40% drop in traffic coming from Google between July 2025 and July 20264

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. Research shows that outbound organic clicks dropped by nearly 40% while zero-click searches increased after AI Overviews launched5

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. Some publishers report traffic for certain queries fell by as much as 89%5

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. The concern centers on whether users will click through to original sources when Google answers questions directly on its own page5

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News AI Pilot Program Expands to 400+ Publishers

Google announced that more than 400 publishers are now participating in its News AI pilot program, which launched in December1

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. The licensing program pays publishers for "the delivery and use of enhanced content to develop new AI features," including in-depth article overviews on Google News publisher pages1

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. Axios, CNN, and the Financial Times are among the new partners joining the program1

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What Publishers Should Watch

While improved link visibility may help user experience, publishers remain skeptical about whether these changes will restore referral traffic to previous levels5

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. With AI Overviews reaching more than two billion monthly users across over 200 countries according to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai during second quarter 2025 results4

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, the stakes for publishers are substantial. Watch for how outbound clicks trend in coming months and whether Google continues adjusting its approach to balance AI-generated responses with traffic to original content creators.