A couple of months back, I ran an experiment that involved hundreds of SEOs searching for the same query on Google so we could gain a better understanding of how AIO tracking in GSC works.
There were some very interesting takeaways from this experiment. You can check out the full write-up here if you haven't already: https://lnkd.in/gf8cMQjY
Google has now come out with their own description of how tracking works, with the findings of my experiment aligning well which was pleasing to see.
How does AIO tracking work in GSC?
According to Google, an impression will be counted for an AIO result when scrolled into view or expanded. It is however important to note that features that appear by default and are visible on page 1 will yield an impression by default once the search is made, due to how recording works.
The entire AIO result occupies a single position on the page, with all visible links to websites occupying that same position. So in my example, the 2 websites within the AIO would be recorded as ranking in position 1 for the query "what is marketplace seo" within GSC.
Is Search Labs data also recorded in GSC?
This was something that was unclear based on my experiment. My hunch was that the data was being recorded, but the overall metrics recorded didn't quite add up so I wasn't certain.
Turns out, Search Labs data for AI Overviews aren't recorded within GSC. This means that if you're using a logged in account that has opted in to Search Labs (the title of the AIO will be 'Search Labs | AI Overview' instead of just being 'AI Overview'), this data for AIOs will not be recorded in GSC.
So for a large portion of the SEO community, if you're currently using an account that has opted into Search Labs to conduct your AIO testing, just know that this data won't be recorded in GSC if you're trying to do troubleshooting of AIO results.
Other important aspects for AIOs
As of this past week, AIOs have now expanded to be shown for users who are not logged to Google in the US. This is a big deal, because it opens up AIO exposure to more users and allows rank trackers to more effectively report on AIO rankings. I've been in talks with Semrush about this recently and I would expect them to have AIO filtering available more broadly in the near future.
It's also important to note that ranking within a AIO, with the new format (pictured) not being too dissimilar to a featured snippet, it actually allows you to rank twice in search results with the same URL when featured. This is not possible with featured snippets, so is actually quite a big opportunity for sites if you're able to get two placements for the same query in search results.
As always, I'll be keeping a close eye on developments in this area, so make sure to follow the SERP Alert page and subscribe to my newsletter: serpalert.com if you aren't already.
This post was originally shared by Brodie Clark on Linkedin.