On October 15, 2026, Google announced a package of changes to AI Mode (the conversational AI mode in Search) and AI Overviews (the AI answers at the top of results): links embedded in words of the answer, a section of official sources at the top, article carousels in more countries and languages, and a note that Preferred Sources (outlets users choose to see more of) grew 7x this year. The coverage is by Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Land.
What Google did not provide is the number that decides whether any of this matters to you: how many people click those links. Schwartz points out that Google still does not break that figure out in the AI performance reports in Search Console.
What did Google change in AI Mode and AI Overviews?
Google changed five things, all with the same stated goal: making “exploring the web simpler, more visual, and more engaging”. The table summarizes each one, according to Search Engine Land.
| Change | What Google described |
|---|---|
| Inline links | Links embedded in words or phrases of the answer, in greater number and higher up, “to ensure key sources are easily clickable” |
| Official links section | When only a few official places exist to complete a task, a dedicated section at the top of the answer with context on why each link is useful |
| Article carousels | Announced earlier, now in “additional locations and languages” and for a “wider range of queries”, highlighting preferred sources |
| Related articles | Images and thumbnails in a “more clickable design” in some answers |
| Creator profiles | In AI Mode, a video creator’s name becomes a link to their profile on Google |
Source: Search Engine Land, citing Google’s announcement.
Will inline links bring more clicks?
Nobody knows yet, and Google is not helping find out. Schwartz suspects users do not click: if they did, he says, Google would show click data in the Search Console AI reports. That is his opinion, not a measurement. The verifiable fact is the missing number.
For anyone deciding a content budget, the practical reading is this: Google improved the shop window for your link but did not show the foot traffic. If you have tried to isolate AI Mode traffic in your reports, the walkthrough on finding AI Mode queries in Search Console shows how far you can get with the data that exists today.
What are Preferred Sources and why do they matter now?
Preferred Sources is a feature where users pick the outlets they want prioritized in Google results. Google said usage grew 7x this year. The expanded article carousels highlight exactly those chosen sources, which makes them more visible to the people who selected them.
That changes the visibility conversation. Before, the goal was to appear. Now part of the contest is being the source a person chose on purpose. Search Engine Land keeps an “Add as Preferred Source” button at the end of its own articles, a good model for asking readers. For a small site, the simple version is asking your loyal audience to add your domain, in an email or a blog notice.
Does clicking a creator profile send people to my site?
No. Search Engine Land stresses that the link on a creator’s name opens a Google Search profiles page, and only from there can a person reach the channels the creator runs. The click destination is Google, not the creator’s website.
That matters for video producers. When your video shows up in an AI Mode answer, the immediate gain is brand recognition, not a site visit. If you measure results by sessions alone, this channel will look weak.
What should you do on Monday?
Four checks fit in one morning:
- Check that your pages answer the question at the start. Google pulls links “for context”, and the text explaining why your link is useful has to exist on your page. The logic is the same as in the topical authority window in generative AI.
- Ask your audience to add your site as a preferred source. It costs one paragraph and may get you into carousels.
- Test your main searches in AI Mode and note whether your domain appears as an inline link, in a carousel or not at all. Do it monthly with the same list of questions so you have a comparison.
- Do not change strategy because of this announcement. Without click data there is no way to know if shifting budget pays off. Follow the plan in the guide to appearing in ChatGPT and other AIs, which works for Google too.
When I was in sales, I learned that a nice display does not prove a sale. A more visible link does not prove a click. Until Google shows the number, your own analytics is the only measure you have.
Summary: what changed and what is still unknown
Google gave links more room inside AI answers: embedded in the text, in an official sources section, in carousels and in related articles. It expanded carousels to more locations and languages and reported 7x growth in Preferred Sources. It did not publish click data, and the creator link opens a Google profile, not the producer’s site. The useful action is simple: answer fast, ask for preferred-source marking and measure it yourself.