Google is making updates and experiments to its AI Overviews, providing users with more ways to see citations and links to the sources used to generate the Overviews. Additionally, Google is testing new link icons within the Overviews.
One of the updates includes a new right-hand link display for AI Overviews on desktop, with a mobile version available by tapping the site icons on the upper right of mobile search results. Google is also testing the addition of links to relevant web pages directly within the text of AI Overviews, making it easier for users to click and visit sites that interest them.
Google has been testing these updates for a few weeks and has seen positive results in terms of driving higher traffic to publisher sites. The company will continue testing different ways of presenting information that is most helpful for users while prioritizing approaches that drive traffic to relevant websites.
In addition to these updates, Google is expanding access to AI Overviews to six new countries: the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. The Overviews will support local language support in each of these countries.
Google is also adding a saving feature to AI Overviews in Search Labs. Users can now save a specific AI Overview for future reference, allowing them to easily access the helpful information and links they found during their initial search. Saved AI Overviews can be viewed by tapping on the profile icon from Search and navigating to the Interests page.
Another feature being rolled out is the ability to simplify AI Overviews. Users can now adjust the language of the Overviews to make them simpler or more detailed, depending on their preferences. This feature is available for users enrolled in the “AI Overviews and more” experiment in Search Labs, specifically for English queries in the U.S.
Overall, these updates and experiments from Google aim to enhance the user experience of AI Overviews. With additional citations and links, expanded access to new countries, a saving feature, and the ability to simplify the Overviews, users will have more control and flexibility in accessing relevant information. These updates also benefit publishers by driving higher traffic to their sites.
