Google Expands AI Overviews, Adds New Link Displays

After testing the option in selected marketers, Google’s now expanding its AI Overviews in Search, which will broaden the impact of users getting more in-depth overviews without having to actually tap through to a site.

Which is probably bad news for SEO, though it may be good news in some ways too.

Google first launched in testing back in May, which provide explainers within Search results for selected queries.

A key concern here, as noted, is that this will also reduce referral traffic, by providing more detail in the SERP, reducing the need for users to tap through for more. As such, Google’s looking to address this by adding in a new link display within AI Overviews on desktop.

As you can see in this example, Google’s experimenting with links within the text of AI Overviews, while it’s also testing out a new link display on desktop.

Which should see more users tapping through. According to Google, the new link displays have shown positive results in early testing, increasing traffic driven by Overview displays, though it remains to be seen whether this will hold for all, or even most queries.

Which leads to the next update: Google’s also expanding the availability of AI Overviews to more regions.

As per Google:

“After extensive testing and positive feedback, including in the U.S. and in Search Labs globally, we’re bringing the helpfulness of AI Overviews to six new countries: United Kingdom, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil – along with local language support in each country.”

In addition to this, Google’s also testing saved AI Overviews, so you can get back to your past queries, as well as a simplified language option for AI explainers.

But again, the main concern with AI Overviews remains the impact on referral traffic. And while Google is looking to address this with these new updates, it is already having at least some impact on some websites’ performance.

Though there is also one SEO benefit. Google says that AI Overviews have been driving traffic to a broader range of sites.

“With AI Overviews, we’re seeing that people have been visiting a greater diversity of websites for help with more complex questions. And when people click from search result pages with AI Overviews, these clicks are higher quality for websites - meaning users are more likely to spend more time on the sites they visit.”

So maybe fewer clicks, but better quality traffic?

I don’t know, it still seems like a traffic roadblock, that’ll impact site visits, but maybe adding a new link display will help to drive more traffic, and lessen that somewhat.

AI search is a risky addition for Google, in that it could eat into its core revenue stream in Search ads. But over time, I also expect Google to find more commercial opportunities within its AI results.

And all of this is important to note for digital marketers, in regards to the impacts it may have on your strategy. And while we don’t have enough data to outline the full impacts as yet, the expansion of AI Overviews will provide more insight.