Google is testing moving the link cards from the bottom of the AI Overviews to the top, making those links much more visible and much more likely to be clicked on by a searcher. Currently, these link cards were below the AI Overview answer and are hard for searchers to see and click on.
What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of this new AI Overviews test in Google Search. It was spotted by Bartosz Góralewicz who posted this screenshot on X:
What a Normal AI Overview looks like. Here is a screenshot of the normal version of this AI Overview. By default, you see no link cards, you have to click “Show more” to see them:
After you click on “Show more” it will then expand and show you the link cards below:
Why we care. If Google makes this change live for all AI Overviews, it might lead to publishers and content creators getting the visibility and clicks they deserve and want from these AI Overviews.
Of course, Google doesn’t show us those impressions and clicks clearly in Google Search Console – yet.
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About the author
Barry Schwartz is a technologist and a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics.
In 2019, Barry was awarded the Outstanding Community Services Award from Search Engine Land, in 2018 he was awarded the US Search Awards the “US Search Personality Of The Year,” you can learn more over here and in 2023 he was listed as a top 50 most influential PPCer by Marketing O’Clock.
Barry can be followed on X here and you can learn more about Barry Schwartz over here.