Short answer
The number of external links inside Google's AI-powered search answers has risen noticeably, but how much of that traffic actually reaches a website is unclear. Search Console's measurement rules keep impression and click data in separate reports, which means sites cannot see the full picture of their share of that traffic.
Highlights
- The share of AI Overviews containing an external link within the answer text reached 26.2% on 20 September.
- Some underlined phrases don't lead to a website at all, but open an AI Mode conversation instead.
- Search Console's generative AI report rolled out to all sites on 31 August, but it only reports impressions.
2 min readEditor-in-chief: Uğur Deniz İlhan
The number of external links in Google's AI Overviews has risen sharply in recent weeks, but what that increase means for sites is murky. According to Search Engine Journal's report, two independent observations put the issue back in the spotlight this week.
What does the data show?
According to a chart shared by AI search analytics company Peec AI, the share of AI Overviews containing an external link within the answer text reached 26.2% on 20 September. Separately, a recording shared by an SEO practitioner showed that some underlined phrases inside AI Overviews don't lead to a website when clicked, but open an AI Mode conversation instead.
Do these clicks actually reach the site?
According to Google Search Console's help pages, clicking a link to an external page inside an AI Overview normally counts as a click. However, if a link runs a new Google query (a query refinement), it isn't counted as a click or an impression for any site. Google's help pages don't clarify how the underlined text that opens an AI Mode conversation is classified under this rule.
What should search teams do about it?
Search Console's generative AI performance report rolled out to all sites worldwide on 31 August, but the report only provides impression data; clicks, including those from AI Overviews and AI Mode, are folded into the overall Performance report alongside other web search clicks. Search and content teams shouldn't assume that a rise in AI Overviews impressions automatically means more traffic; they need to read both reports together and track the actual click trend through the overall Performance report. For the basics: SEO, AEO, GEO, AIO, GEM: how do the five disciplines differ?
Frequently asked
- Does Search Console's generative AI report show clicks too?
- No, the report only provides impression data. Clicks, including those from AI Overviews and AI Mode, are part of the overall Performance report's total web search clicks and aren't broken out separately.
Sources
- Search Engine Journal ·
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