Published 10.11.2026
Zyppy removed its site from AI Overviews and AI Mode for 28 days, then opted back in. By the author's estimate, Google's AI answers drove about 21% of all its search clicks.
Since August 2026, Search Console has a setting that removes a site from Google's AI answers: AI Overviews, AI Mode and AI features in Discover. Regular results stay. Cyrus Shepard (Zyppy SEO) tested on his own site what opting out costs.
How the test ran
- On September 1 the site was opted out of AI answers. Its impressions there disappeared within about an hour.
- On September 29 it was opted back in. Impressions came back gradually, over several weeks.
- Clicks in the 28 days without AI answers were compared with the 28 days after, on the same queries and positions.
The results
- AI answers accounted for about 10% of the site's Google impressions.
- CTR in AI answers was about 0.9% (0.7% to 1.1%), versus about 0.4% site-wide.
- AI answers drove about 21% of search clicks, or about 23% counting a small lift to regular listings.
The author kept the site opted in.
Caveats
- It's one site, and one already prepared to be cited by AI. Your numbers will differ.
- Google doesn't separate AI answer clicks from regular clicks in the Performance report, so the share is an estimate.
What to do now
- Check the setting. In Search Console settings, find the Search generative AI section. If your site is excluded and you didn't plan that, opt back in. Changes take a few days.
- Don't confuse it with training. This setting doesn't cover AI training on your pages. For training, see our breakdown of the robots.txt rule.
- Check the report. If your Performance report has a generative AI tab, it shows AI answer impressions by page.
Check your site
AI answers already bring a noticeable share of clicks, and not only on Google. The free aiseen.cloud check shows in 15 seconds whether your site is blocking ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and other AI bots by mistake.
Sources: Zyppy, November 5, Search Engine Journal, November 9.