Google just released an AI opt-out feature. Your competitors hope you use it.

Google announced new controls on an unspecified date in the past week, allowing website owners to opt out of AI-powered search experiences like AI Overviews and AI Mode. The company also introduced new AI reporting features within Google Search Console, though both functionalities are currently in early beta and not universally available. This move addresses long-standing requests from the SEO industry for greater visibility into AI traffic and control over content in AI-generated results. However, the announcement has led to a division within the industry, with some focusing on the reporting tools and others debating the strategic implications of opting out of AI experiences altogether. The new controls do not disable AI Overviews or AI Mode for users; they only determine which websites are eligible to be surfaced in these AI-driven search results. This distinction is crucial, as opting out does not alter the user's search behavior or the availability of AI features, but rather limits the visibility of a publisher's content within them. The decision to opt out is therefore a choice about content eligibility for AI experiences, not a rejection of AI technology itself.