Google is rolling out new tools that give website operators more control over how their content shows up and how they can measure it in AI-powered search features, likely in response to regulatory pressure.
Google says AI Overviews now has more than 2.5 billion monthly active users, with AI Mode topping one billion. Going forward, a new toggle in Google Search Console will let site operators choose whether their content appears in AI search features like AI Overviews or AI Mode.
Sites that opt out won't get any traffic from these features (which shouldn't be much of a loss), but it sounds like they'll keep getting normal search traffic. "This control will not be used as a ranking signal for search results outside of these generative AI Search features," the company writes. Google is also shipping new performance reports that break out impressions, pages, countries, and devices for AI features separately.
The new "Generative AI" report in Google Search Console shows site operators how often their pages appear in AI search features like AI Overviews and AI Mode. | Image: Google
Both features will initially be tested in the UK, partly due to pressure from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which also issued a first-of-its-kind code of conduct targeting Google today. Under the new rules, Google must let publishers remove their content from AI search features, clearly attribute sources in AI-generated search results with links, and only fine-tune AI models on publisher content with their consent.
