Google Wants To Show More Links in AI Mode

October 17, 2025

Earlier this month, Google launched a testing feature in AI Overviews, which displays more links to publishers to calm backlash and drive traffic to websites. 


Let’s discuss: 

Google Responds to Publisher Recoil with More Links in AI Overviews 

In early September 2025, Google began testing an update to its AI Overviews (AI-generated summaries found at the top of some search results). The intention was to provide more links to publisher websites directly in the AI summary box. 


This is Google’s response to news publishers, bloggers, and SEOs who reported that AI Overviews held users on Google instead of sending them to their sites. The test is currently live for some U.S. users and could expand globally if clients are pleased with the results. For Google, the trick is to meet the needs of clients while maintaining web ecosystem support. 

Why It Matters 

Content creators have seen the potential for Google to corral users without allowing them to click through. AI Overviews supported their fears by offering rich, no-click answers at the top of search results. Google acknowledges that the open web needs traffic to survive, so they’re adding more links to summaries. This is also a move to avoid legal battles and regulatory action, especially from the E.U. and U.S. lawmakers concerned about antitrust issues. 

How This Affects You

Content creators, SEOs, and publishers should:


  • Optimize for AI snippets: Make content scannable, factual, and structured for AI.
  • Use schema markup to increase visibility in AI-generated answers. 
  • Track referral traffic: Determine when traffic comes from AI Overviews.
  • Monitor Google updates: This test could roll out widely- or disappear. 


Your action steps: Use clear headlines, FAQs, and bullet-point answers, as these are what AI pulls into summaries most often. 

Is Google Actually Listening? 

Adding more publisher links to AI summaries is a step in the right direction. Google has to keep users on its platform while avoiding backlash from the sites that fuel its search engine. This new platform will be successful if users and publishers respond favorably. 


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