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Google acknowledges difficulty mapping traditional position 1-10 rankings alongside AI Overviews

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TLDR

Google's John Mueller confirmed that traditional position 1-10 rankings are now difficult to map in Search Console due to AI Overviews changing SERP layout.

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Optimixed's original report on this story.

In response to questions about how Search Console counts impressions for generative AI results, Google's John Mueller acknowledged that the conventional position 1-10 ranking system no longer maps cleanly to actual SERP real estate. While Google has existing documentation on the topic, Mueller's remark underscores a growing friction point for SEO professionals: AI Overviews are reshaping how rankings should be measured and reported.

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