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Lead DevelopmentFACT · 4/5•9 Sept '26•Via onlinemarketing.de

Google AI Overviews Adds Character Counter, Threatens Niche Sites

Google has integrated a character, word, and sentence counter directly into its AI Overviews in the US, according to SEO expert Daniel Bilalov. This new tool allows users to count text elements without visiting dedicated online tools. SEO experts like Barry Schwartz predict significant traffic losses for websites that solely offer such counting services, as Google increasingly provides these utilities in the search results. This move is part of a broader trend where Google embeds more features (e.g., emoji search, weather) directly, reducing the need for users to click through to external sites. Google CEO Sundar Pichai also commented that search is evolving towards agentic tasks, further indicating a shift away from traditional link-based results.

•Google has added a character counter feature to AI Overviews in the US (as of September 2026).
•SEO expert Daniel Bilalov discovered the feature; Barry Schwartz commented on it.
•The character counter counts words, characters, and sentences in pasted text.

Entities:Google

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FACT · 4/57 Sept '26· Via OnlineMarketing.de

Google Testing Three New AI Buttons on Homepage

Google is testing three new AI buttons on its homepage that appear directly below the search box. The buttons, labeled "Create images", "Ask about files", and "Brainstorm", guide users directly into the AI Mode for image generation, file analysis, and brainstorming. The test was first confirmed in August and has now been spotted in Romania, indicating a broader EU rollout. These buttons are part of Google's ongoing effort to integrate AI more deeply into the search experience, following the major AI update at I/O 2026 and the introduction of the plus icon. For publishers, this could intensify the zero-click trend as users may bypass traditional search results in favor of AI-driven tasks.

•Google is testing three new AI buttons on its homepage: 'Create images', 'Ask about files', and 'Brainstorm'.
•The buttons appear directly under the search box and lead users into the AI Mode.
•The test was spotted in Romania, indicating expansion within the EU.

Google

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