For months we have heard the same complaint from clients: "we show up in Google's answer, but nobody clicks". On 15 October 2026 Google published an update on its blog that goes straight to that point. It is signed by Hema Budaraju, VP of Product Management, and the idea is that AI answers will carry more links and show them higher up.

It helps to separate what is already rolling out from what is only being tested, because many headlines have blended the two.

What is already happening

Google says it has made "substantial increases" to inline links in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and that it is starting to place them higher in responses more often. Until now many of them sat at the bottom, where few people scroll.

The related-article links at the end of some answers now come with thumbnails and a design meant to be tapped. News carousels, which highlight each user's preferred sources, are expanding to more locations and languages, although Google has not said which ones.

Google gives one figure: the number of people using the Preferred Sources feature has grown more than sevenfold since the start of the year.

What is only a test for now

  • A section at the top of the answer with links to the official page the user is looking for, for example to book or make an appointment, with a note on why each link is useful.
  • Clickable creator and publisher names on video results in AI Mode, linking to their Search profiles.

Neither has a general launch date. If someone tells you "it already works like that in Spain", ask for a screenshot.

What to measure, and with what

Search Console has a performance report for generative AI features, but it only shows impressions. Clicks coming from an AI answer are not broken out. To know whether that traffic exists you need to cross Search Console impressions with organic sessions in GA4 and, above all, with what happens next on your site: forms, calls, purchases.

It takes more work than checking an average position. It is also the only way to know whether any of this turns into clients.

What we would check on your site this week

Pages that complete a specific task

If Google is testing a highlighted official page for booking, requesting a quote or checking opening hours, that page needs to exist, have a clear URL and load fast. Many small business websites send everything to the home page or to a generic contact form.

Paragraphs that can be quoted

AI links to sentences that answer something specific. A paragraph that opens with the answer (starting price, delivery time, service area, requirements) stands a better chance than three paragraphs introducing the company.

Up-to-date structured data

Organization, LocalBusiness, Product or Article, depending on the case. Schema does not guarantee a citation, but it helps Google understand who you are and what you offer.

If you publish news or run an active blog

Ask your regular readers to add you as a preferred source. Given the growth Google reports, it is one of the few levers that depends on your audience rather than on the algorithm.

For more context, our article on GEO covers what to do so AI recommends your business. The original source is Google's post "More ways to connect with the web from Search", published on 15/10/2026.