In a recent LinkedIn conversation, John Mueller, senior search analyst at Google, confirmed that the core algorithm update will impact the search engine's AI-powered overview.
This information gives a clearer picture of how AI is integrated into Google search results.
In response to a question on LinkedIn, Mueller said:
“They are part of search and core updates affect search, so yes.”
This confirms what those in the SEO industry have been noticing: the sources used in the AI Overview seem to change following major algorithm updates.
AI Overview Background
Google introduced AI Overview to its US search results a few months ago.
These summaries use a special version of Google's Gemini AI to generate answers at the top of search results. The AI pulls information from various websites and condenses it into short, easy-to-read summaries.
Impact of core updates
Core updates are broad changes to Google's search algorithms and systems that are typically rolled out several times a year.
These updates are intended to improve the quality of search results by re-evaluating how content is evaluated and ranked.
The latest core update, released by Google on August 15, is still rolling out, and the company advises waiting until the update is complete before analyzing the impact.
Future outlook
As Google continues to integrate AI into search, publishers need a clearer understanding of how core algorithm updates will impact these features.
While Mueller's confirmation is helpful, there are still many unknowns, including questions about why content appears in AI summaries and whether that's different from why websites rank higher in regular search results.
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