# Google updates AI search links to appear higher

Digest AI · Marketing & Small Business · published 2026-10-15T16:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/google-updates-ai-search-links-to-appear-higher

## Summary

Google announced five changes to how links appear in its AI‑mode and AI‑overview search results. The first change places inline links higher in response listings, while the second tests a top‑section that shows official sites for specific tasks. The company also expands its carousels for timely articles to more locations and languages, and starts testing creator and publisher names on AI‑mode video results that link to Search profiles. Finally, links at the end of AI responses will now include image thumbnails and a more clickable design.

The updates come from a blog post by Hema Budaraju, VP of Product Management, who noted that the number of users employing Preferred Sources has grown more than seven times since the start of the year, though no exact count was given. Google says it is “making continued and substantial increases to the presence of inline links” but does not quantify the change.

These changes are part of Google’s broader effort to improve the relevance and transparency of AI‑generated search answers, and they may affect how marketers see their sites in AI‑search results.

## Key points

- Google places inline links higher in AI search responses
- Google tests top‑section with official sites for task‑based searches
- Carousels for timely articles are expanding to more locations and languages

## Why it matters

Higher placement of inline links and expanded carousels can increase visibility for sites listed as Preferred Sources, affecting traffic from AI‑search users.

## Sources

1. [Google Puts Inline Links Higher In More AI Search Responses via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern](https://searchenginejournal.com/google-inline-links-higher-ai-search-responses/593089) (Search Engine Journal, 2026-10-15)
2. [Google is making inline links more prominent in AI responses](https://theverge.com/tech/1012206/google-ai-mode-overview-inline-links) (theverge.com, 2026-10-15)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Google updates AI search links to appear higher", 15 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-updates-ai-search-links-to-appear-higher

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