Google Search Console for visibility
Google Search Console is Google’s free, first-party source of search visibility data: impressions, clicks, CTR and average position for your site. AI Overviews and AI Mode appearances are included in the Performance report under the “Web” search type, and the Generative AI performance report (rolled out to all sites as of August 31, 2026) isolates impressions from those features.
How does Search Console count impressions and position?
An impression is counted when a link to your site is shown under each feature’s rules. Specifics for AI features:[1]
- AI Overviews: the link must be scrolled or expanded into view; all links in an Overview share its single position.
- AI Mode: standard impression rules; position follows normal results-page methodology; a follow-up question counts as a new query.
- Clicking an external link in either counts as a click.
What is the Generative AI performance report?
It shows “how your site performs in generative AI features on Google Search,” currently AI Overviews and AI Mode. Dimensions: pages, countries, dates and devices; search types “Web: text-based” and “Web: multimodal” (including Google Lens and Circle to Search). Data comes from the Web search type of the Performance report, and the usual 1,000-row table limit applies.[2] Google also recommends it in its generative AI guide as the way to monitor visibility.[3]
How do you use Search Console for visibility analysis?
- Track total impressions as the top-line visibility metric.
- Compare AI-feature impressions with total Web impressions by page.
- Use query filters for branded versus unbranded visibility.
- Combine with Analytics for engagement; Google suggests tracking conversions and time on site too.[4]
What about Bing Webmaster Tools?
Bing’s counterpart for AI is the AI Performance report, which counts citations rather than impressions, across Microsoft Copilot, AI summaries in Bing and select partner integrations.[5]
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t I see the Generative AI report?
Google says this usually means your site has not had enough impressions in AI features, or the site is excluded from Search generative AI features.
Are AI Overview impressions in my normal totals?
Yes. They are part of the Web search type totals in the Performance report.
Does Search Console include Search Labs experiments?
No. Google says data from Search Labs experiments is not included.
See also
References
Sources accessed October 14, 2026 unless another date is given. See all sources.
- “What are impressions, position, and clicks?”. Search Console Help. accessed October 14, 2026.
- “Generative AI performance report (Search)”. Search Console Help. rolled out to all sites as of August 31, 2026; accessed October 14, 2026.
- “Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search”. Google Search Central. accessed October 14, 2026.
- “AI features and your website”. Google Search Central. accessed October 14, 2026.
- “AI Performance”. Bing Webmaster Tools Help. accessed October 14, 2026.