A recent study by SEO firm SE Ranking found that Google’s AI‑driven search tool, AI Mode, heavily favors internal links, sending users back to Google Search and YouTube more often than to third‑party sites. The analysis shows a threefold rise in self‑citations, with roughly half of all links in entertainment and travel queries pointing to Google. Publishers argue the practice reduces traffic to their sites, while Google maintains the links are meant to help users explore related questions. Industry experts see the trend as part of a broader shift toward “zero‑click” search experiences. Read more →