Google Now Includes AI Mode Traffic in Search Console Performance Reports
What Is AI Mode?
AI Mode is Google’s next step in evolving its search experience. Building on AI Overviews, this interactive feature breaks down user queries into smaller components and explores each one simultaneously a method known as “query fan out.” This allows users to dive deeper into topics and access more detailed search responses.
What’s New in Search Console?
With the recent update, Google Search Console now includes AI Mode data as part of the overall Performance report totals. This means:
- Clicks from AI Mode where a user clicks on a link to an external website — are now counted.
- Impressions follow standard rules; if your link is displayed or potentially viewable in AI Mode, it counts.
- Positioning works the same as with regular search results, including carousel and image blocks.
Importantly, interactions through follow-up questions in AI Mode trigger new queries. Metrics from these new responses are attributed to those follow-up searches individually.
No Changes to SEO Best Practices
Google reassures site owners that no special configurations or additional markup are required to benefit from AI Mode visibility. Standard SEO practices continue to apply.
You do not need to create:
AI-specific files
New schema types
Special machine-readable data
Instead, control over how your content appears within AI features remains in your hands via existing directives like nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet, or noindex.
Why This Matters
As AI Mode becomes more integrated into Google Search, understanding how it affects your website’s performance metrics is crucial. While the data now flows into the “Web” category in Search Console — without a separate filter for AI Mode traffic — it could lead to noticeable shifts in your reported traffic.
Google claims that clicks from AI Mode often come from users more likely to engage deeply, potentially resulting in longer session durations and higher content interaction.
Final Thoughts
This update underscores the growing role of AI in shaping search behavior. While we may not have separate visibility into AI Mode traffic just yet, its inclusion in core reporting is a clear sign that Google is betting big on AI-enhanced search. Staying informed and maintaining solid SEO foundations remain key to staying competitive in this evolving landscape.