Google’s AI Mode: What It Means for Your SEO

Can You Track Google’s AI Mode Yet? Here’s What We Know

So… What Exactly Is AI Mode?

Think of AI Mode as your search assistant. It goes beyond basic results and pulls together smart, detailed responses when you ask complicated or layered questions—things like:

“What’s the best small business software for accounting and marketing?”
“Compare eco-friendly paint brands by price and quality.”
“How do I build a content strategy that works in 2025?”

Instead of giving you one link, AI Mode fans out and explores subtopics, then brings together a fuller response—with links to websites (like yours) baked in. It’s meant to help users discover more, and dive deeper, without multiple searches.

But What About Search Console? Can We Track This Yet?

Here’s where things get tricky.

Google has confirmed that AI Mode traffic will soon appear in Search Console, but… not as its own line item. You won’t be able to separate AI Mode clicks from regular search clicks.

It’ll all just show up under the “Web” search type in the Performance report. One big data soup.

So while you might see your numbers go up, you won’t know if AI Mode had anything to do with it.

What Google Said (Straight From the Source):

“AI Mode reporting isn’t live in Search Console yet, but we expect this soon… There’s currently no separate break-out planned, and no API change involved.”

Translation? You’ll see something—but it won’t be specific. And no, you can’t filter AI Mode out from the rest. You just kind of… know it’s there. Somewhere.

Why This Is a Problem (Yes, It’s a Problem)

We get it—Google’s doing a lot behind the curtain. But for marketers and SEO pros, this lack of visibility is frustrating.

No way to see if AI Mode is helping your SEO.
No clarity on how ads are performing in AI Mode.
No filters. No breakdowns. No insights.

And after all the “control and transparency” talk from Google at Marketing Live? This feels like the opposite.

So What Can You Do Right Now?

Even if you can’t track AI Mode traffic cleanly, there are things you can do to prep your content and measure what you can.

Stick to SEO Best Practices

Good news: you don’t need to reinvent your strategy. Google’s AI features pull from content that follows basic SEO fundamentals. That means:

Making sure your site is crawlable and indexed
Using clean internal linking
Writing people-first, helpful content
Including clear headlines, readable text, and accurate schema

Monitor for Traffic Changes

While you won’t get a “this came from AI Mode” label, you might notice a bump in clicks or better quality visits (more time on site, lower bounce rate). Watch your analytics for changes.

Use Robots.txt If You Want Out

Don’t want your content used in AI Mode or Overviews? You can block it using tools like nosnippet, noindex, or even Google-Extended in your robots.txt file.

Just make sure you understand what you’re opting out of—these tools also impact regular search visibility.

Final Thoughts: AI Mode Is the Future—But We’re Not There Yet

AI Mode is a huge shift in how people find and interact with content. It’s smart, fast, and personalized. But as marketers, we need transparency to do our jobs well—and Google just isn’t delivering on that yet.

For now, keep doing great SEO, stay tuned for updates, and prepare for a world where classic search is only half the story.

At Syndicate Marketing, we’re already helping clients adjust for this new era—even without perfect tracking. If you’re not sure where to start or how AI Mode fits into your strategy, we’ve got your back.