Google is making moves that could reshape how publishers get compensated for AI search, while Cloudflare is giving site owners a cleaner way to control AI training. The latest Search Engine Journal pulse also brings a lower bar for Search profiles and candid comments from Google on AI position reporting.
Google tests payouts for AI contributions
Google confirmed an early-stage pilot that pays participating sites when their content contributes significantly to answers in the Gemini app, AI Overviews, and AI Mode. According to Digiday, at least dozens of publishers have been approached. Verification-only or after-the-fact content does not qualify.
Sites that opt in get a Search Console panel with monthly earnings and some history, and can leave from settings. But the panel does not explain how earnings are calculated. One executive with knowledge of the program called it “quite black box.” That matters because a publishing exec also noted that accepting these payouts could weaken a site’s negotiating position for broader licensing deals.
AI search reporting gets a reality check
Google’s John Mueller acknowledged that the traditional position model doesn’t fit AI results. Tracking position is “hard to do in a way that makes it useful,” he said in response to a Reddit discussion. The generative AI report gives no positions, and links inherit the placement of the Overview block rather than their spot inside it.
Impressions are recorded when the feature appears on the page served, regardless of scrolls. Links behind “Show More” are not counted until expanded. For SEO teams, that means the numbers you see may not describe what users actually saw.
Cloudflare separates AI training from search crawling
Cloudflare rolled out a “Disallow AI Training” setting that publishes a no-training preference in robots.txt while still allowing Googlebot, Applebot, and Bingbot to crawl for search. Existing training blocks are being updated automatically, and the older Block AI Bots and Managed Robots.txt controls are being deprecated.
At Google, the preference is handled through Google-Extended, and at Apple through Applebot-Extended. Microsoft has not yet supported a robots.txt no-training signal but plans to work on it in early 2027. The setting does not affect whether your pages appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
Search profiles drop to 10,000 followers
Google lowered the eligibility bar for Search profiles to 10,000 followers per account across YouTube, Instagram, X, or TikTok. That is a big shift from June’s 100,000-follower requirement on YouTube, Instagram, or X, and 300,000 on TikTok. By August it was 35,000. Now a U.S. site with 12,000 YouTube subscribers can claim a profile.
Search profiles do not directly influence ranking, but they can help content appear more in Discover for followers. Media companies also get one login covering several brands.
What to check this week
- Review the Search Console AI report with the right expectations: no positions, impressions may overstate visibility, and “Show More” links are undercounted until expanded.
- If Google invites you to the AI contributions pilot, ask how payouts are calculated before treating it as a revenue stream.
- Check your Cloudflare zone after the automatic update to confirm you are blocking AI training without blocking search crawlers.
- Claim a Search profile if any connected account has 10,000 followers, especially if you publish U.S. content.
Source: Search Engine Journal
