Google Tests AI Search Opt-Outs; UK Mandates Publisher Controls

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Google is testing new Search Console features, including an opt-out for its AI Overviews and AI Mode, alongside dedicated performance reports for AI search visibility, as the United Kingdom’s competition regulator mandated an opt-out for publishers.

The move came as the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) required Google to allow publishers to prevent their content from being used in AI search features and for AI model training, without impacting their regular search rankings.

The new AI performance reports will offer data on impressions, pages, countries, devices and dates with hourly granularity, Google said. However, these reports will not include click data.

Industry analyst Glenn Gabe of G-Squared Interactive noted that the absence of click data could limit the utility of these new reports for publishers.

Google’s May core update, which concluded on June 2 after 11 days, exhibited elevated volatility, potentially distinguishing between traditional and AI-generated ranking visibility, search experts reported.

Stuart Forrest, managing director at Infinity1, told reporters that the update’s prolonged rollout and high volatility were significant.

Todd Davies, founder of TradieM8, described the update as a major shift, indicating a potential split in how content is ranked for traditional and AI search.

Danielle Pardoe, head of SEO at Bauer Media, highlighted the importance of Google providing clear controls for publishers given the evolving search environment.

In a separate development, Google launched Search Profiles for creators with at least 100,000 followers, or 300,000 for TikTok accounts, in the United States. These profiles consolidate creators’ content and social media accounts.

Aleyda Solís, an international SEO consultant at Orainti, commented that these new profiles could offer creators a more centralized presence within Google Search.

The CMA’s mandate specifically addresses concerns from publishers about the use of their content in AI features without explicit consent, a spokesperson for the regulator said.

Google stated that the new opt-out toggle for AI Overviews and AI Mode is part of its ongoing efforts to provide publishers with more control over their content’s visibility in AI-powered search results.

Source: Search Engine Journal