Google AI Overviews Dynamic Link Placement Makes Search Console Tracking Tricky

11/14/25
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of How Google Tracks Link Clicks and Impressions for AI Overviews

Google tracks clicks, impressions, and positions for AI Overviews similarly to standard search results, but with unique nuances. Clicking a link updates citation cards dynamically, and re-running queries can show different citation card orders. Despite all links sharing the same position, citation order changes upon interaction, making detailed tracking and filtering in Search Console challenging.

Optimixed’s Overview: Understanding the Dynamic Nature of Google’s AI Overview Link Tracking

How Google Handles User Interactions with AI Overview Links

Google’s official documentation explains that AI Overview link metrics such as clicks, impressions, and positions are tracked within Search Console, but user interactions reveal a more complex behavior:

  • Clicks: Register when users click on external links within the AI Overview.
  • Impressions: Counted only when links are visible or expanded into view by scrolling.
  • Positions: The entire AI Overview holds a single search result position, and all links inside share this position.

The Dynamic and Changing Citation Cards

When a user interacts with an AI Overview by clicking link icons, the citation cards displayed on the right side dynamically update. This means:

  • Citation card order changes with each interaction, unlike traditional static search results.
  • Repeated queries within a short timeframe may return different citation cards or orders.
  • This dynamic reshuffling was highlighted by SEO experts observing that websites cited in AI Overviews swap positions upon expansion.

Implications for SEO and Data Analysis

Because all links within an AI Overview share the same search position and the citation cards shift dynamically, parsing individual link performance is complex. Even if Google introduced filters for AI Overview data in Search Console, distinguishing specific link metrics remains difficult. Nevertheless, the desire for dedicated filtering options reflects the need for clearer insights into AI Overview interactions and their SEO impact.