SEO expert Glenn Gabe has shared some useful insights into how Google’s AI Mode might be tracked in Google Search Console (GSC).
Currently in beta testing, AI Mode caused a stir across the worlds of marketing and SEO this past week.
While some see it as a useful feature, others are decrying it as yet another example of Google stealing traffic from publishers to fuel its own products.
Similar to AI Overviews and powered by Gemini, AI Mode will see Google moving brazenly into zero-click search territory. Evidently, we’re seeing the historical purpose of the world’s most popular search engine in flux.
Links and citations are included in Google’s AI responses. However, as an SEO strategy, this may offer diminishing returns. A study found that AI responses drive 96% less traffic than traditional search results.
That being said, consumers are using AI-driven search engines more and more to find deals and offers – the realm of affiliate marketing.
How will it be tracked?
Glenn Gabe posits that AI Mode will likely mirror AI Overviews in reporting. All links within the AI-generated response inherit the #1 ranking position, but only if they are scrolled into view.
If users click “Show all” to expand results, those links will only count as impressions once they appear on-screen. This tracking method is similar to featured snippets and other SERP features.
Tracking becomes more complex with follow-up questions. Gabe suggests that Google may treat each follow-up as a new search, resetting rankings and impressions for the next set of AI-generated results. This could create challenges for marketers, as a website might rank low in traditional search but #1 in AI Mode, making it harder to analyse traffic sources.
Adding to the complexity, AI Mode could eventually incorporate images, videos, and local listings, all of which would also take the AI block’s #1 ranking position. If follow-up responses include these features, they could be ranked multiple times across different queries, further complicating search performance analysis.
Gabe warns that without dedicated AI Mode reporting in GSC, marketers and site owners could face major confusion when interpreting search data. He suggests that Google should introduce filtering tools – similar to those in Google Discover or Google News – to help site owners distinguish between traditional search, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.
For now, AI Mode remains untracked, but as it expands, clear reporting will be critical for marketers who rely on search visibility.
