You can check what Google AI Mode links for your business, but you cannot control it. On October 15, 2026, Google announced it is testing a section at the top of some AI answers that shows the one or two official pages for a task. Google has not said how it picks those pages. Start by testing five questions your customers ask.
Google announced five link changes to AI Mode and AI Overviews on October 15, 2026. Two matter most to a local or service business: inline links now appear higher in answers more often, and the official-page section is in testing. Google published no click figures. This post explains what changed, who it affects, how to test your own pages and what to fix first.
What changed in Google AI Mode links on October 15, 2026?
Google changed how AI Mode and AI Overviews show links in five ways, and it described two of them as tests. The table lists each change with the status Google gave it.
| Factor | Google’s status | Most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Inline links higher in answers | Launching updates | Any site cited in an answer |
| Section for one or two official pages | Testing | Businesses with a task page, such as booking or quotes |
| News carousels in more places | Rolling out | News publishers |
| Related-article links with thumbnails | Changing the design | Sites with guides and articles |
| Clickable creator and publisher names on video | Testing | Creators and publishers with Search profiles |
Google gave no figure for how much inline links have increased. It also did not say which markets get each change or how often the new layouts appear.
Does the official-page section apply to a small business?
It can apply when your business is one of the few official places to finish a task, such as booking, ordering or requesting a quote. Google describes the section for cases where only one or two official pages exist for a task or for exact information, with a note on why each link is useful. It has not said how it chooses pages, which markets see the test or whether the section will launch. Treat it as unconfirmed for Quezon City, or any other market, until your own tests show it.
Google built the news carousels and creator profile links for publishers and creators. A plumber or an accounting firm cares more about the inline links and the official-page test.
Do Google AI Mode links need special markup or a file?
No. Google Search Central’s guide to AI features says a page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet to be a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode. It adds that AI features need no specific optimization and that ordinary SEO fundamentals, such as internal links, remain worthwhile.
Google has not published rules for the official-page section itself, so no one outside Google can promise a way into it. The first job is therefore simple: confirm that the pages meant to answer each task are indexed and can show a snippet.
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How can you check Google AI Mode links for your business?
Ask AI Mode five customer questions, then record which links it shows. You need only a browser and a spreadsheet.
- Write five questions a customer types before contacting you, such as “how do I get a quote for office cleaning in Quezon City” or “where do I book a haircut near Cubao”.
- Open Google in a private browser window so your search history does not shape the answer, switch to AI Mode, and enter each question.
- Take a screenshot of each answer. Note every link inside the text, any section at the top of the answer and the links at the end.
- Record the date, whether any link goes to your domain, which page it is and whether that page lets the customer finish the task.
- Repeat on the same day each month with the same wording, because AI answers change between runs.
One check shows one answer on one day. It does not prove a page is or is not eligible, and Google still gives site owners no click counts for these links. Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 15, 2026 that Google said it will add more metrics over time. Tracking these answers every month is part of what our consulting and audits page describes. For a ChatGPT version of the same test, read our Quezon City test of ChatGPT local recommendations.
What should you fix first if the wrong page shows up?
Fix the page that should answer the task, because a page must be indexed and able to show a snippet to become one of the Google AI Mode links.
- Inspect the URL in Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool and confirm Google has indexed it.
- Remove noindex, nosnippet and restrictive max-snippet settings from any page that should be linked.
- Give each task one page, such as one booking page or one quote request page, instead of splitting it across several.
- Name the task in the title and the main heading in plain words, such as “Request a quote for office cleaning in Quezon City”.
- Write the address, hours, phone number and service area as page text, not only inside images or PDFs.
- Link the page from your home page and main menu so visitors and crawlers find it easily.
- Check that your Google Business Profile website link opens the page you want customers to land on.
These are standard SEO fundamentals, not an AI Mode trick, and they also help the page in regular results. For the wider method, see how to get your business named in a ChatGPT answer.
How do you tell whether the changes helped?
Compare your monthly check results over time, because Google gives no click data for Google AI Mode links yet. Keep one row per question per month and note the date you change a page, so you can connect a change to a result. A correct link appearing after a fix is a signal, not proof, since AI answers vary between runs. Pair the log with each page’s impressions and clicks in Search Console and with form submissions or calls in your own analytics.
Google AI Mode links: FAQ
Is the official-page section live for everyone?
No. Google said on October 15, 2026 that it will be testing the section. It did not name the markets, queries or businesses included, so many people will not see it. Run your own questions instead of assuming either way.
Do these link changes apply to AI Overviews as well as AI Mode?
Google’s announcement covers both. Its documentation adds that AI Overviews and AI Mode may use different models and techniques, so the links each one shows can differ. Run your five questions in both and log the results separately.
Should I add nosnippet to stay out of AI answers?
Only if you accept losing snippets everywhere. Google says nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet and noindex limit what Search shows from a page, and a page must be eligible for a snippet to be a supporting link. Most businesses that want customers to find them should leave those controls off.
See which pages AI answers link for your business
Our free audit runs 10 of your priority buying questions across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews and shows where your business appears. AI Mode is not one of those three engines, so the self-check above covers it. The audit takes about ten minutes to request, a person replies within 24 hours on weekdays, and you keep it either way. See what an AI visibility audit checks, or Get your free audit.
