Google: Removing Sites from AI Results, at What Cost?

Google Introduces Control for Websites

Google recently announced the rollout of new tools that allow website operators to better control how their content is used in AI-powered search features. This decision appears to be a response to increasing regulatory pressures.

Google's AI Insights currently have over 2.5 billion monthly active users, and AI Mode has surpassed one billion users. Now, thanks to a new switch in the Google Search Console, site operators can choose whether their content should appear in these AI features.

Sites that opt out of these features will no longer receive traffic from them but will continue to benefit from traditional search traffic. Google clarified that this choice will not be used as a ranking signal for search results outside of AI features. Additionally, Google is offering new performance reports that detail impressions, pages, countries, and devices for AI features.

Testing in the UK Under Scrutiny

These new features will initially be tested in the UK. This decision comes partly due to pressure from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has also published a code of conduct targeting Google. The new rules require Google to allow publishers to withdraw their content from AI search features, clearly attribute sources in AI results with links, and only refine AI models on publishers' content with their consent.

Consequences for Publishers

For publishers who choose to opt out, the loss of visibility is a major risk. However, for Google, this does not pose a significant problem. The search giant uses vast portions of the web for its AI responses, sending little traffic back to the sites that provide this information. A study by the New York Times showed that Google's AI responses are correct over 90% of the time, which discourages users from clicking on source links.

Even though features like "Preferred Sources" exist, they do not address the fundamental issue. Publishers find themselves in a position where they must choose between appearing without fair compensation or disappearing from AI results. Google, for its part, has many other sources like Reddit, Wikipedia, and its own data to maintain the quality of its responses.

The Real Challenges for Google

What could truly slow down Google would be a legal obligation to compensate publishers for the content used in AI responses, similar to the EU's ancillary copyright, but with tangible consequences. An antitrust ruling that forces Google to separate AI responses from traditional search results could also have a significant impact.