Google Search Console Now Reports AI Mode Traffic Data: What Marketers Need to Know

Google AI Mode Traffic Data Now Available in Search Console

Starting today, Google’s AI Mode data is included in Search Console’s Performance reports. This means clicks, impressions, and positions generated through AI Mode interactions will count toward your overall search metrics.

Google also updated its Search Console help documentation with a new section explaining how these AI Mode metrics are measured. This update coincides with the rollout of AI Mode to all users in the U.S.

How AI Mode Metrics Are Reported

• Clicks: Any click on an external link within AI Mode counts as a click in Search Console.
• Impressions: If your page appears within an AI Mode response, it counts as an impression.
• Position: Positions are calculated similarly to standard search results. Instead of AI Mode counting as a single position, each component—such as link cards, image blocks, or carousels—gets its own position based on Google's usual ranking rules.

Handling Follow-Up Questions

When users ask follow-up questions within AI Mode, Google treats each as a new search. Metrics for clicks, impressions, and positions are attributed to these new queries accordingly.

What This Means for Marketers and Webmasters

There has been some confusion about the absence of AI Mode data in Search Console reports. Now, with AI Mode included, the overall data reflects this new source of traffic. However, Google does not currently provide filters to isolate AI Mode traffic separately, similar to how AI Overviews data is handled.

Details from Google's Updated Help Section

Google explains that AI Mode offers a more interactive AI-powered response, linking to external web resources that support the information or guide users to related pages. It organizes user queries into subtopics and searches for each simultaneously, allowing users to explore topics in depth.

• Clicks: Clicks on external links within AI Mode count toward Search Console metrics.
• Impressions: Standard rules for impressions apply.
• Positions: Positions follow standard Search results page methodology. Elements like carousels and image blocks receive positions based on usual ranking criteria.
• New Queries: Follow-up questions in AI Mode are treated as separate queries, with their metrics counted accordingly.

This update helps clarify how AI-driven search interactions contribute to your website’s visibility and engagement metrics.