Ten steps through the Generative AI report, from baseline to fixes

The short answer

You can open the new Generative AI report, set a baseline and act on what it shows in ten steps, most of them quick. Google added the report to Search Console on June 3, 2026, and it counts how often your pages appear in AI Overviews, AI Mode and AI features in Discover.

Until now, the way AI answers help customers compare providers and choose a business was hidden from owners. The steps below turn that blind spot into numbers you can track.

Step 1: Sign in and open the report

Log in to Search Console and open the Performance area. Look for the section labeled Generative AI, which collects AI Overviews, AI Mode and AI features in Discover in one view.

Step 2: Read impressions by page

Start with the page list. It shows which of your URLs appear inside AI answers and how often, which tells you where your AI visibility already exists.

Note any important service page that is missing from the list. Those gaps become your audit list in step 8.

Step 3: Split the data by country, device and date

Use the breakdowns to see where and how people meet your pages. Country and device type show the audience, and the date view reveals changes over time.

Step 4: Check the Discover report

Google keeps a separate report for generative AI features in the Discover feed. Open it as well, since those impressions do not appear in the main search view.

Step 5: Record your baseline today

Record your current impression numbers for each key page. The report holds no data from before May 18, 2026, so every day you wait is a day of history you cannot recover.

A baseline taken now makes your comparisons far more useful later. Six months from now, you will be able to see clearly which pages gained ground and which slipped.

Step 6: Note what the report cannot show yet

Keep the limits in mind before you draw conclusions. The report shows impressions but not clicks, so you can see how often a page surfaces in an AI answer without knowing how many people visited.

It also leaves out the exact prompts that triggered your content. Google says more metrics will arrive over time, but it has not announced a date for click reporting.

Step 7: Decide on the opt-out toggle

Search Console now includes a toggle that controls whether your site is included in AI Mode, AI Overviews and other generative AI features. It is separate from organic rankings, and opting out does not hurt your standard blue-link results.

For most small businesses, the better choice is to stay in. A citation in an AI Overview raises your chance of a click and lets Google ground its answers in your own site, so you help shape what it says when people search for your services locally.

The case for opting out is narrow. A highly regulated business, a medical or legal practice, or a site with proprietary content it does not want quoted should review the option with its web team first.

Step 8: Audit your five most important pages

Google says there is no separate trick for AI SEO, and good, honest SEO still applies. A page is eligible when it is fully indexed, qualifies for a normal search snippet, loads correctly and genuinely helps real people.

Check each of your top five pages against these signals:

• The key question gets a direct answer near the top.
• Headings are clear, and paragraphs are short and easy to scan.
• Structured data, or schema markup, is accurate where it applies.
• Facts can be verified, and credible sources are cited.
• The page reflects first-hand expertise instead of summarizing other articles.
• Pricing, hours and service details are current.

Pages that repackage content from elsewhere are less likely to be cited. The Google AI favors content machines can read, trust and quote with confidence.

Step 9: Update your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile, or GBP, feeds directly into what the Google AI says about your business in local searches. If it is outdated or has gone months without an update, fix it before any other content project.

Confirm that your hours, phone number, address and services are correct. Add a post this week and upload at least one recent photo, since these steps cost nothing and the AI draws on what it can verify.

Step 10: Return to the report and compare

Check the report regularly and compare each page against your baseline. Rising impressions show which changes worked, and flat or falling numbers point to the next pages to improve.

Expect fewer exploratory clicks along the way. AI Mode and AI Overviews now handle much of the comparing and shortlisting that once happened on your website, so the people who do visit tend to arrive with higher intent.

If you want help with any of these steps, AppWT works with Michigan businesses on Search Console data, content for AI citations and site structure. Contact AppWT or schedule a call with our team.