By Celi Anindia
Publication Date: 2026-10-16 10:05:00
Google is showing web sources more prominently in AI Search, but publishers still need click and engagement data to judge the impact.
Google is making links to source websites more prominent in AI Mode and AI Overviews, alongside broader news carousels and tests that put official sites and creator profiles in front of users. The October 15 update offers publishers more opportunities to be encountered inside an AI answer, although the company has not provided evidence that it will increase referral traffic.
The distinction matters for SEO teams measuring the value of AI citations. A source link near the top of a generated response may be easier to see than a link at the bottom, but visibility alone cannot…
