Google says Search Console cannot track AI search visibility accurately
Organic click volumes have been falling for years, and marketers are feeling pressure to explain the shift toward AI‑driven results. Google Search Advocate John Mueller told Reddit that Search Console still treats an entire AI‑generated overview as a single block, meaning the platform cannot accurately track how AI search works. He noted that the tool assigns the same top‑position rank to every…
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Google Search Console in the tool directory · 2 changes covered
Key points from the news
- Google Search Console treats AI overview boxes as a single block, giving all contained links the same top position
- AI overviews appear on about 21% of searches and have reduced clicks to standard organic results by roughly 38%
- Researchers observed AI overview click‑through rates fell 61%, inflating impressions and distorting average‑position metrics
Research cited by SEJ shows AI overviews appear on about 21% of searches and have cut clicks to standard organic results by roughly 38%. Seer Interactive reported a 61% drop in AI‑overview click‑through rates, while a field study found the inflated impression counts distort average‑position metrics. The article argues that the old “average position” number gives a false sense of consistency and recommends marketers treat AI visibility as a simple yes‑or‑no citation, then focus on actual site visits, inquiries, and conversions. Checking the live SERP layout or using automated screen‑inspection tools can provide clearer insight than Google’s flattened data.
The story so far
3 episodes →- Google says Search Console cannot track AI search visibility accuratelythis story
Search Console Uses Block Flattening For AIOs, Forget Position & Focus On Outcomes via @sejournal, @TaylorDanRW
Search Engine Journal · 24 September 2026
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This text was published by Search Engine Journal and written by Dan Taylor. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
The headline, key points and digest above were generated by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources. Automated summaries can contain errors: the sources are the record. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Published by Martin K., who runs Digest AI and handles corrections.
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