Link carousels are now available in AI Mode, making it easier for users to access top stories and developing topics. This update follows the rollout of carousels in AI Overviews. Click data remains unavailable in Search Console.
Google has introduced link carousels for developing topics within AI Mode, expanding a feature that was previously available only in AI Overviews on Google Search. The new carousels are designed to highlight top stories and trending subjects, placing relevant articles and webpages-including those from users' Preferred Sources-front and center in AI-powered search results.
According to Robby Stein, a product lead at Google, the update aims to make it easier for users to connect with original coverage and a broader range of perspectives. When users ask about something currently trending, the AI Mode interface now displays a horizontal carousel of clickable links, increasing the visibility of timely news and analysis.
This enhancement is expected to make AI Mode results more click-friendly, potentially driving more traffic to publishers than before. However, Google does not currently provide publishers with detailed click data from AI Mode in Search Console’s generative AI reports, making it difficult to measure the exact impact. While the volume of clicks is unlikely to match pre-AI Search levels, the addition of carousels should help offset some of the decline in referral traffic that publishers have experienced since the introduction of AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Google’s move comes as the company continues to refine its AI-powered search features. The company has previously made adjustments to its search ecosystem, such as increasing account limits for agencies in Google Merchant Center, which was detailed in a recent update on changes to Merchant Center account management. These ongoing updates reflect Google’s broader strategy to balance user experience with publisher needs in an evolving search landscape.
While the new carousels represent a step toward greater engagement, publishers should not expect a return to the higher click-through rates seen before AI-driven search features became standard. Instead, the focus is shifting toward adapting content strategies for a world where users may read summaries, conduct follow-up queries, and leave Google Search without clicking through as often. There is cautious optimism among publishers that Google will continue to introduce more interactive elements to AI search results in the future.
