Google Search Console: AI Visibility Finally Measured

Google Introduces a Report on Generative AI in Search Console

In early June, Google launched a new measurement tool within its Search Console platform. This report, dedicated to generative AI, was initially accessible to a limited number of sites before being rolled out to a broader audience. This feature allows site owners to better understand how their content is utilized by Google's AI tools.

Detailed Analysis of AI Impressions

The report, titled Generative AI, focuses on data related to AI Previews, AI Mode, and the generative features of Discover. This data was previously included in the overall performance report but is now isolated for more precise analysis. The report measures impressions, which refer to how often a URL appears in an AI-generated response. Impressions can be sorted according to four criteria:

• Pages: URLs are grouped by their canonical address.
• Countries: The geographical origin of the searches that triggered the display is indicated.
• Devices: Results are classified based on whether they come from a desktop, tablet, or mobile device.
• Dates: Tracking is possible by hour, day, week, or month.

However, the report does not provide information on the clicks generated by these impressions, nor on specific queries. This means that a site owner can know that their pages have been used in an AI summary without being certain that the user subsequently visited their site. This approach differs from that of Bing Webmaster Tools, which has been documenting citations of content used by Copilot since February.

Deployment of AI Previews in France

The integration of generative AI into the French version of Google Search has been long awaited. This new report, which already allows for distinguishing impressions by country, is part of this deployment strategy. According to recent information published by Ouest France, Google plans to launch AI Previews and AI Mode in France before September 23, 2026. France would thus be one of the last countries to benefit from these features, which have already been available in over 120 countries for more than two years. Google has also made commitments to French news publishers, including:

• The option for publishers to choose whether or not to appear in AI results.
• Transparency regarding the number of impressions generated by their content.
• Compensation under neighboring rights for publishers already affected by this regime.