While Google keeps saying it values publishers and knows how important it is to link to publishers and site owners from Search and AI Overviews, well, it is just as important for Google to link to their own search results for AI Overviews. Google is testing adding links, more visible and clickable links, right in the AI Overviews, to its own search results.
Google is testing adding those dotted lined links we saw in featured snippets to the AI Overviews. When you click on the dotted line links, you are taken to a new set of search results. What that does is help increase the number of searches Google can say people do on Google Search, which was up like 22% last year.
This was spotted by Sachin Patel who posted a screenshot and video of it in action on X - here is that screenshot:
The wild part is just how many of these links are in the AI Overviews while Google only links to publisher sites with these small little paperclip icons or chain icons at the end of the AI Overviews. Which are more likely to be clicked on? The links to the publisher's site or the links to Google Search?
Here is the video embed:
Google AI Overview appears with an underline, and when clicked, it redirects with a new query.@rustybrick @gaganghotra_ @brodieseo pic.twitter.com/Y6Df6bfxgn
— Sachin Patel (@SachuPatel53124) March 17, 2025
And how it looks on mobile:
Here is the mobile view @rustybrick @gaganghotra_ pic.twitter.com/O44uAiJol0
— Sachin Patel (@SachuPatel53124) March 22, 2025
I think Google is more and more delusion about links to publishers/site owners than ever, especially around AI Overviews.
Forum discussion at X.
Update: Google is still doing this weeks later!
Google AI Overviews continues to link to its own search results - I can even replicate - here is a quick video - story updated at https://t.co/e1oMAr8hcw https://t.co/m2L2l8rMbn pic.twitter.com/5MXs2SORRc
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) April 4, 2025
Update 2:
yep, imo, this is the only way they can currently monetize these AIOs - many of those lead to results without AIOs and tons of ads
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) April 9, 2025
