Google announced a number of new features across its AI Overviews, including the new AI Overviews links test we saw going live. Google also is adding new Search Labs features and is expanding AI Overviews to more countries.
AI Overview Links
Like I said, we saw Google testing new new links in AI Overviews, even showing over 20 links for a single AI Overview. Well, some of this is going live now.
"We're introducing more ways to check out relevant websites while you search, with a new right-hand link display for AI Overviews on desktop – also accessible on mobile by tapping the site icons on the upper right," Google wrote.
Here is the illustration Google posted:
Here are the screenshots of this test we posted a few weeks ago:
These link changes are starting to roll out globally as of yesterday for AI Overviews in all launched countries, as well as for Search Labs users in more than 120 countries and territories, Google explained.
Google also said it is "testing the addition of links to relevant web pages directly within the text of AI Overviews," this is in addition to the links they already show.
Google then touts how they care about publishers by writing:
This experiment has shown early, positive results: Showing links to supporting web pages directly within AI Overviews is driving higher traffic to publisher sites. We’ll continue testing different ways of presenting information that’s most helpful for people, while prioritizing approaches that drive traffic to relevant websites.
Saving AI Overviews
Another test we spotted a few weeks ago was the ability to save AI Overviews. Google wrote, "Just tap the new "save" button underneath your AI Overview, and when you conduct the same search again, you’ll get the same AI Overview in your results. This makes it even easier to access, and click out to the content you were interested in. You can also see your saved AI Overviews by tapping on your profile icon from Search and navigating to your Interests page."
Here is my screenshot of this from then:
Simplier Mode for AI Overviews
This was announced by Google at AI, the simplier mode for AI Overviews. Google now said, "you'll now see an option on some AI Overviews to simplify the language with a single tap."
Here is what it looks like:
This is available if you're enrolled in the "AI Overviews and more" experiment in Search Labs, for English queries in the U.S., Google explained.
Expanding AI Overviews To More Countries
Google is also expanding AI Overviews to six more countries, outside of just being in the United States. Google is expanding them to these countries, with local language support:
- United Kingdom
- India
- Japan
- Indonesia
- Mexico
- Brazil
Search Console Tweak
One last thing, Google clarified that AI Overviews are counted and logged in Search Console in the Performance report. This is a documentation clarification on methodology only, and not a change in Search Console reports, Google wrote. Yes, Google logs the data but does not break out AI Overviews from other search features in the performance reports.
Google just posted about this. And like I thought, publisher links in AI overviews take on the position of the entire AIO block. So no matter where you are ranking in the AIO, it's going to be the position of the block, which is often #1. I wrote a post about tracking AIOs in… pic.twitter.com/3Kc9DKnqgY
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) August 16, 2024
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
