Google boosts news and link visibility in AI mode

Alphabet's search engine, Google, has announced a major shift in its AI-powered search results. CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that the AI Overviews feature, which generates summarised answers to search queries, has more than two billion monthly users across 200 countries. This development comes as news publishers and brands express concern over a significant decline in traffic driven by Google.

Over the past two years, Google has been integrating more AI features into its search results. In May 2024, it introduced AI Overviews, which provide succinct summaries instead of merely displaying links. Later, in March 2025, the company launched AI Mode, a separate window that offers a more extensive answer along with additional links compared to AI Overviews.

Starting now, Google will prominently feature contextual links higher up in AI-generated content and will expand the use of contextual links worldwide. This enhanced link carousel, displayed below AI Overviews, will present headlines with images of relevant articles. The algorithm will prioritize content from users' previously identified preferred sources and will also incorporate material from social media posts and other forums.

Moreover, Google plans to make the links at the end of AI-generated summaries more engaging and prominent for users interested in exploring further. However, this shift has raised concerns among news publishers. A report by consultancy Chartbeat indicated a 40% drop in traffic from Google to news websites between July 2025 and July 2026, following the introduction of AI Overviews.

Additionally, Apig, representing daily newspapers in France, warned the Competition Authority that AI summaries may violate agreements made with news publishers in 2022.