Google is testing changing out some of the links within AI Mode to show as overlay cards, instead of take you directly to the website it is mentioning. This obviously will result in fewer direct clicks to those websites.
This was spotted by Brodie Clark who posted a video of this in action on X and on SERPAlerts. Brodie wrote, "Google is testing out the new bubble link approach with embedded links in AI Mode. Instead of clicking through directly to the website when a brand is mentioned, the bubble link treatment now means the user has to click again if they want to visit the website."
Here is a GIF of it in action:
Here is how it works normally:
Last month, Google did improve the links within AI Mode and AI Overviews and maybe this is a way to make those links more consistent with those? But it also will likely result in these specific links driving less traffic.
Forum discussion at X.
