SEO this week: more links in Google AI Mode, ads in AI answers, ranking swings

The common thread this week is AI answers in Google Search. Google is putting more links to websites into them, and at the same time starting to test ads inside them. Business Profiles are getting small but visible changes, and rankings were restless again. Here is what happened and what to check.

Google: more links in AI Mode and AI Overviews

On 15 October Google published a set of changes to AI Mode and AI Overviews, in a post by Hema Budaraju, VP of Product Management. The main points:

• Links inside the answer text. Google says the number of links embedded in AI answers has grown continuously and substantially, and it now places them higher in responses more often.
• A box for official pages (test). For some tasks, Google will test a separate block at the top of the answer with one or two official pages and a short note on why each is useful.
• Carousels of timely articles are expanding to more locations and languages and highlight the sources a user has picked as Preferred Sources. Google says the number of people using Preferred Sources has grown more than sevenfold since the start of the year.
• Links at the end of some answers get image thumbnails, and creator names on video results in AI Mode become clickable (test).

Google did not say which countries and languages each change covers, or how many extra clicks sites should expect.

Ads in AI Mode for Personal Intelligence users

Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that it is starting to test ads in AI Mode for users who connect their apps through Personal Intelligence. Google had previously said this experience would stay ad-free. According to the updated help document, ads may draw on summaries from connected apps, but not directly on Gmail or Google Photos. Advertisers get no access to connected apps, and sensitive categories are excluded. The test markets were not named.

Rankings restless again, no confirmation from Google

On 16 October Search Engine Roundtable reported a spike in ranking volatility and many reports of traffic drops, including in Google Discover. An update on 19 October mentions speculation about an upcoming core update. Google has confirmed nothing, and its status dashboard lists no new update since the spam update that finished on 8 October.

Google Business Profile: ID verification and posts higher up

Google is testing a new verification option for Business Profiles: a photo of a government ID, alongside phone, email, video call and mail. The option is not yet in the official help document. The Google Posts section has also been seen moving higher in the local panel, for the first time since 2018. Google has not commented on either change.

Square brackets in URLs

On 20 October Google's John Mueller explained that ?filter[]=123 and ?filter%5B%5D=123 are different URLs. Google may merge them if they return the same content, but it is better to use one form consistently. This often comes up with filters in online shops.

What it means for your business

1. Be the official page for your topic. Service pages with clear prices, terms and contact details have the best chance of earning a link in AI answers. Ask regular readers to add you as a Preferred Source.
2. Do not react to every drop. If traffic fell around 16 October, compare Search Console with the period before and wait for Google to confirm an update before making big changes.
3. Post on your Business Profile. If posts are moving up the panel, one short post a week is a cheap way to be more visible in local search.

If you want to know how your site shows up in AI answers, see our SEO service or get in touch.