In this week’s digital news, Google AI Mode linked only to Google’s own pages in 46.5% of U.S. product answers, according to a new Findrix study of 55,198 AI-generated answers. Overall, 57% of links in AI Mode product answers led to Google Shopping product pages. Google is expanding ads in AI Mode to more countries, with even further expansion planned for Q4 2026.
Pages cited by AI often answered a question in their first lines, though the gap was smaller against pages AI pulled up but didn’t cite. Alphabet lost just over $500bn in market value on Thursday after its latest results suggested AI summaries are cutting into traditional search advertising revenue.
Google has updated its official spam guidelines with a new section titled “Only index content meant for Search,” addressing the growing risk of index bloat from user-generated platforms. The revised documentation advises site owners hosting shareable pages, web applications, or collaborative tools to implement noindex tags or block crawling via robots.txt by default for pages intended solely for direct sharing rather than public search discovery.
Google also clarified technical nuances, reminding publishers that URLs blocked in robots.txt can still occasionally appear in indices if linked externally. Additionally, the guidance recommends setting up Search Console alerts to monitor unexpected spikes in indexed pages or anomalous user-generated publishing patterns.
Google is expanding ads in AI Mode to Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore. Further locales, including Brazil, Mexico and the UK, are planned for Q4 2026. Google says AI Mode queries are on average three times longer than traditional searches, and that click-through rates are already similar for sponsored and organic product listings. Multiturn ads, which allow ads to appear in follow-up queries, are launching in the US. All ads will be clearly labelled as “Sponsored”, with new formats still being tested.
A comprehensive analysis of 193,507 AI responses across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and AI Mode reveals that pages cited by generative models open with a direct answer to the core question significantly more often than standard top-ranking pages that were bypassed. Conducted by TJ Digital, the study utilised blind rater evaluations to compare cited pages against uncited competitors. Identifying strong statistical correlations between AI citations and specific content structures. Key traits associated with higher citation odds included publication or update dates within the past 12 months, years included in title tags, structured tabular data. And clear markers of first-hand experience. This highlights the need for concise, upfront content structuring.
While these findings represent observational associations rather than guaranteed shortcuts. Editorial teams are advised to restructure introductory paragraphs to answer user intent immediately. Combining front-loaded answers with robust freshness signals and structured formatting helps position content for inclusion in multi-platform AI summaries.
Alphabet lost just over $500bn in market value on Thursday after its latest results suggested AI summaries are cutting into traditional search advertising revenue. Chief business officer Philipp Schindler said AI Mode was eating into ad income from standard search queries. Though he remained positive about the trajectory. Total revenue rose 25% to $127.6bn. But advertising came in below analyst expectations, and shares fell over 12% to a six-month low. Former Google ads chief Kim Scott described the move as a deliberate long-term bet on AI. Forrester’s Tracy Woo highlighted the challenge of funding heavy AI investment while protecting core businesses.
Google’s AI search experience keeps shoppers within its own ecosystem, especially for fashion and beauty products. A study of 55,198 AI answers found that 57% of product links led to Google Shopping and 46.5% of US product answers linked only to Google pages. Brands may gain visibility in AI search without receiving website traffic.
Read more here.
Instagram’s new long-form video format isn’t a priority for brands that haven’t mastered short-form content. Brands should first create Reels over 60 seconds that earn strong watch time and engagement. Then turn successful formats into consistent series that build an audience. Long-form is worth exploring only when short videos can persuade viewers to watch more. Create content that builds brand influence and drives action, not just views.
Read more here.
If you’d like more information on any of the stories we’ve mentioned, or support with your digital marketing, get in touch with our expert team by booking a call.
