Last Updated on July 3, 2025
Why You Should Click the Link in AI Search Results
We’ve all marveled at how fast AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews deliver answers. You ask a question, and boom – there’s your response. No scrolling. No digging. No clicking.
Convenient? Sure. But here’s the thing: AI doesn’t replace research – it summarizes it. And if you’re serious about accuracy, context, and trust, you should click that link.
“AI Overviews help people get to the gist of a complicated topic or question more quickly, and provide a jumping off point to explore links to learn more.” Google
AI Summarizes. It Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story.
When AI answers a question, it’s pulling from sources around the web – blogs, news articles, product pages, documentation, even Reddit threads. But:
- It doesn’t always cite the source clearly
- It might miss the nuance or tone of the original content
- It could mash multiple sources together, losing context
Clicking the link lets you:
- Verify the accuracy of what AI just told you
- Understand the full story, especially if it’s a how-to, a review, or expert advice
- Support the original creator whose content made the AI answer possible
For example, if you’re reading an AI summary about SEO & AI strategies, the linked post might offer tools, examples, and a human perspective that the AI missed.
Trust Comes From the Source, Not Just the Summary
“The terms validity, reliability, and credibility are often used interchangeably when discussing sources; the core concept of each definition is that the information is trustworthy.” Stanford Law School
AI tools are trained to sound confident, even when they’re wrong. The only way to know you’re getting credible information (regardless if you are using AI or not) is to:
- Check the author
- Look at the publication date
- Explore the context
- Look for the information’s source
- Compare with other sources
- Ask yourself, why was the content created?
You can’t do that unless you click through.
Web credibility experts like Nielsen Norman Group have long emphasized the importance of source trust. That doesn’t go away just because AI sounds smart.
The Value of the Click: It’s Not Just About Traffic
Sure, clicking a link helps the website get more visitors. But more importantly, it helps you:
- Discover related content or updates that AI may have skipped
- See real data, charts, or full case studies
- Learn about the creator or organization behind the info
Think of it this way: AI gives you the trailer. The website gives you the full movie.
So, What Should You Do?
Next time AI gives you an answer, ask yourself:
- “Where did this come from?”
- “Is there a link?”
- “Can I learn more by clicking it?”
And if there’s a link, click it.
Explore the site. Read the full article. See the nuance. Ask better follow-up questions.
You’ll become a smarter, more informed digital citizen – and you’ll help support the human web that AI depends on.
Learn More
For deeper insights into SEO, AI, and building trust through content, take a look at my other articles on SEO and on AI in your online marketing.
Also check out:
- Google’s AI Overviews Overview
- SparkToro on Zero-Click Searches
- OpenAI’s FAQ on How ChatGPT Gets Its Answers
With thanks to Joerg Geisler for the inspiration behind this post!