A few weeks ago, I reported on how Google was testing showing deeper Google AI Overviews, maybe powered by Gemini 2.0, with over 60 links and citations in them. Well, over the past few weeks, more and more of us are seeing these AI Overviews, with dozens of links within them. And we are asking ourselves, who will click on these links?
I mean, if the AI Overview had maybe 3 to 5 links, sure, maybe a searcher will accidently click on one of those links. But an AI Overview with 40, 50, 60 plus links. That is way too overwhelming and no searcher will click on those.
I mean, you can trigger them pretty easily - this one only has 16 citations/links but many have over 50:
Here are more examples:
Hey @rustybrick - is it new that AIO shows 30+ sources? Not sure I've ever seen it cite this many sites before. pic.twitter.com/ewwD6adIa9
— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) February 13, 2025
AI overview update. How about 40 #1 listings? :)
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) February 16, 2025
I've been seeing this more and more recently for some health and medical queries. Google is providing MANY citations for the AIO. Check out the list below for "flaxseed benefits"... it contains 40, yes 40, citations.
The AIO… pic.twitter.com/4YVLRyWKqN
The question is - again - who will click on these citations when (1) Google gives you the answer and (2) there are just too many links and its overwhelming. Plus, this shows even more of a reason for Google to give us this data within Search Console - which they likely will never do but they should.
As Lily wrote, Google: let's test putting 30+ links in AI Overview citations and make the AIO answer take up the entire screen, but not give site owners a way to measure traffic from AIO." As Glenn Gabe also wrote, "The AIO itself isn't necessarily huge when I'm seeing this happen, but there are a ton of sources provided. BTW, each listing would rank #1 in GSC since they take on the position of the AIO block. So yes, 40 #1 listings."
What a mess for us...
Forum discussion at X.
