Welcome to the Pulse: this week, updates change what Google pays for, what Search Console reports about AI results, and how a site blocks AI training without losing search.
Here’s what matters for you and your work.
Mueller Says AI Position Data Is Hard To Report Usefully
Google’s John Mueller said that search has evolved beyond the traditional position one-to-ten model, and it’s quite a challenge to adapt that to AI results.
Key facts:
Mueller responded to a Reddit discussion about the report, which rolled out worldwide on August 31, and noted that tracking position is “hard to do in a way that makes it useful.” An impression is recorded when the feature appears on the page served, regardless of user scrolls, whereas links behind Show More aren’t counted until expanded. The report relies on existing Web search data instead of adding new information.
Why This Matters
The generative AI report doesn’t give positions at all. In the Search performance data underneath it, a link inherits where the Overview block itself was located, rather than the exact spot where the link was placed inside it. Mueller asked the thread for suggestions on a helpful way to measure position.
Read our full coverage: Google Admits Search Console Reporting For AI Search Is Inadequate
Google Is Testing Payments For AI Contributions
Google is piloting a program that pays participating sites when their content contributes to answers in the Gemini app, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.
Key facts:
According to Digiday, Google confirmed the pilot as early stage, and at least dozens of publishers have been approached. Participants get paid when their content “contributes significantly” during answer creation. Content that only verifies facts or is added afterward does not qualify. Sites that accept get a Search Console panel with monthly earnings and some history, and can opt out from settings.
Why This Matters
The contribution panel displays a payout but doesn’t show what it’s based on, something one exec with knowledge of the program described as “quite black box.” Next to it, there’s a report that tracks impressions rather than clicks. Additionally, a publishing executive mentioned that accepting these payouts might weaken a site’s bargaining position, especially when negotiating better terms, because Google could point to the pilot as compensation it already provides.
Read our full coverage: Google Tests Paying Publishers For AI Answers Via Search Console
Cloudflare Separates AI Training From Search Crawling
Cloudflare added a Disallow AI Training setting that publishes a no-training preference in robots.txt while leaving Googlebot, Applebot, and Bingbot free to crawl for search.
Key facts:
Choosing Block now stops all three crawlers, search included, as Cloudflare explained in July for mixed-use crawlers. The new Disallow AI Training option lets search engines keep crawling. Existing Training blocks will be automatically updated to match this new setting, and the older Block AI Bots and Managed Robots.txt are being deprecated. At Google, this setting is managed through Google-Extended, and at Apple through Applebot-Extended. Cloudflare also mentions that Microsoft hasn’t yet supported a robots.txt no-training preference, but plans to work on it in early 2027.
Why This Matters
Cloudflare changed what its Block setting does, and your current choices will update automatically. Take a moment to check which setting your zone is using. The ‘Disallow AI Training’ option aligns with the training opt-outs provided by Google and Apple. Keep in mind, this setting doesn’t influence whether your pages show up in AI Overviews or AI Mode, as those are managed separately in Search Console.
Read our full coverage: Cloudflare Lets Sites Disallow AI Training Without Blocking Googlebot
Search Profiles Open Up At 10,000 Followers
Google lowered the follower bar for Search profiles to 10,000, counted per account on YouTube, Instagram, X, or TikTok.
Key facts:
Ibrahim Badr, a product manager for Search, announced the change. Profiles launched in June needed 100,000 followers on YouTube, Instagram, or X, or 300,000 on TikTok. By August, the requirement lowered to 35,000 followers across all four platforms. This results in three different thresholds within 15 weeks for YouTube, Instagram, and X. Media companies now get one login covering several brands. Article displays get updated thumbnails and longer headlines, with no sizes given in the post. The feature is still U.S. only.
Why This Matters
Google’s help page says that a Search profile does not directly influence ranking. Instead, it appears in Discover, where followers may see more content from that source within their feed. For example, a U.S. site with 12,000 YouTube subscribers that wasn’t eligible in June can now claim a profile today.
Read our full coverage: Google Search Profiles Now Available At 10,000 Followers and Google Search Profile Badges Expose The Publisher Traffic Crisis
Theme Of The Week: The Number Without The Math
Two of this week’s stories give you a number. Both leave out some of the detail behind it. Google will pay sites in its pilot program without breaking down contributions, and its AI report shows impressions but does not specify positions. Cloudflare emphasized transparency, making it mandatory for its Accountable label, requiring operators to provide, or commit to providing, URLs of pages made available for training. Cloudflare says Google is planning additional URL-level transparency tools related to Google-Extended in the coming weeks. The only exception is search profiles, where the number shown is a follower count you already had on platforms that already display it.
Top Stories Of The Week:
- Google Admits Search Console Reporting For AI Search Is Inadequate
- Google Tests Paying Publishers For AI Answers Via Search Console
- Cloudflare Lets Sites Disallow AI Training Without Blocking Googlebot
- Google Search Profiles Now Available At 10,000 Followers
- Google Search Profile Badges Expose The Publisher Traffic Crisis
More Resources:
- What Wikipedia Reveals About AI Overviews And Web Traffic
- Brands Are Tracking AI Visibility, But Are They Measuring The Right Things?
- Google Documents Partner-Only API For Full-Web Search Results
Featured Image: Cast Of Thousands/Shutterstock
