Google moves links higher in AI answers as news publishers report 40pc traffic plunge

New York, October 16 - Google announced on Thursday it will prominently display more links higher up in search results powered by artificial intelligence, as news publishers report a 40% drop in traffic. The tech giant began integrating AI features into its search results over two years ago, with AI Overviews launched in May 2024 and AI Mode added in March 2025.

Now, Google will feature contextual links more frequently and prominently in AI-generated search content. It will also prioritize articles from a user's preferred sources and pull in content from social media posts. The algorithm will make links displayed at the end of AI-generated summaries more engaging for users wanting to explore further.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai stated that AI Overviews now have over two billion monthly users in 200 countries. News publishers, including a group representing daily newspapers in France, have expressed concerns that AI summaries are reducing user engagement with suggested links, with some studies showing a significant drop in traffic from Google.