In 2026, Google started bringing AI Overviews and AI Mode together into a single experience. From the AI summary at the top of the results, people can now ask a follow-up question and keep the conversation going without leaving Google. At the same time, Search Console added a report showing how often your site appears in those answers.
What changed
- A search that becomes a conversation: the AI Overview is the entry point and AI Mode is the follow-up, keeping the context of the original question.
- Longer answers: on some searches, the summary expands automatically.
- More reach: according to Google, AI Overviews have more than 2.5 billion monthly users and AI Mode more than 1 billion.
For a refresher on what they are and how much they affect clicks, see Google AI Overviews: how they affect your traffic.
The new AI report in Search Console
Since June 2026, Search Console has a generative AI features report (in beta) that shows how often your pages appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode.
- It shows impressions by page, country, device and date.
- It does not show clicks or queries yet, so you cannot tell how much traffic each appearance brings.
- It adds an option to exclude your site from AI answers. According to Google, this does not affect your regular rankings, but you lose that visibility.
What it means for your business
More and more questions get answered without leaving Google. That does not make SEO useless, but it does change what to measure and where to focus:
- Informational searches lose clicks, while branded and purchase-intent searches hold up better.
- Being cited is the new number one spot: if the AI names you as a source, you gain visibility even when the click does not come.
- Traffic alone is not enough: track visibility, branded searches and leads.
What to do now
- Check the AI report in Search Console: see which pages appear and which do not.
- Answer first, expand later: put a clear answer in the first lines of each page.
- Strengthen your commercial pages: services, products, case studies and comparisons.
- Build your brand: mentions, reviews and presence on other sites help AI know and recommend you.
- Do not opt out without analysis: in most cases you lose more than you gain.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI Mode gone as a separate tab?
Not entirely. Google presents it as a unified experience, but AI Mode still exists and can be used directly.
Is the Search Console AI report available to everyone?
Google rolled it out gradually during 2026. If you do not see it in your property yet, check the performance section again in the coming weeks.
Were AI impressions already in my data?
Yes. Google confirmed they were always counted in the performance report totals. What is new is seeing them separately.
How can MAAP help?
We work on SEO and AI search: content, authority and technical structure so Google and other assistants cite you.