Google Tightens AI Content Rules

Google has updated its guidance on AI-generated content, now stressing the need for websites to manually check AI-written material before publishing. The latest SEO developments also include UTM tags appearing on links from Gemini, changes in click-through rates and the wider rollout of AI Mode’s monitoring tools.

Google Calls for Manual AI Fact-Checking

Google has strengthened its guidance around the use of generative AI, advising website owners to manually check AI-generated content for accuracy before publishing it.

The update, made to Google’s guidance on using generative AI on 1 October, explains that AI systems predict likely sequences of words rather than independently checking whether information is factual.

Google now says that AI-generated material should be reviewed carefully to make sure it is accurate and trustworthy.

Importantly, the guidance does not only apply to the main article content. Website owners are also encouraged to check AI-generated titles, meta descriptions, structured data and image alt text.

Why It Matters

The change means publishers using AI for SEO content need to review more than just the article itself. Metadata can also appear in search results, so incorrect or misleading information in these areas could affect how a page is presented to users.

For businesses using AI to speed up their content production, having a manual fact-checking process in place is becoming increasingly important.

Gemini Links Begin Showing UTM Tags

Another development involves Google Gemini and how visits from the AI platform can be tracked.

A Reddit user noticed that some links from Gemini to websites were carrying UTM parameters. Google Search representative John Mueller confirmed that he had also seen the tags and asked for examples of how the referrals were being handled.

Google has not yet provided clear documentation explaining when or why Gemini adds these UTM parameters.

Why It Matters

UTM tags could give website owners another way to identify traffic coming from Gemini without relying solely on referral information.

SEO and marketing teams could compare visits recorded through Gemini’s UTM parameters with their existing referral data. This may provide a clearer picture of how much traffic AI search tools are sending to websites.

Desktop CTR Falls While Mobile Improves

Data from Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) shows that organic click-through rates changed in the second quarter of 2026.

Across all searches, the combined desktop CTR for the first and second organic positions fell by 5.27 percentage points compared with the first quarter. Mobile CTR moved in the opposite direction, increasing by a combined 6.59 percentage points for the same positions.

However, there is an important issue to consider when looking at this data.

The comparison crosses the end of a Google Search Console impressions reporting error, which ran from 13 May 2025 until 27 April 2026. As CTR is calculated using clicks and impressions, the change in reporting could affect comparisons made across this period.

Why It Matters

Website owners should be cautious when interpreting changes in their own Search Console CTR figures around this period.

A fall or rise in CTR does not necessarily mean searchers suddenly changed their behaviour. Changes in how impressions were recorded could also have influenced the figures.

AI Mode Monitoring Expands

Google has also started rolling out its AI Mode information monitoring feature more widely.

Google’s Robby Stein announced that the feature was becoming available globally, after previously being offered to Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers.

The tool allows users to ask AI Mode to monitor a particular topic and provide updates when new information becomes available. Google has highlighted examples involving areas such as local searches and shopping.

AI Mode can also suggest monitoring tasks while people are searching.

What This Means for SEO

The wider rollout gives businesses another reason to pay attention to how their websites appear in AI-powered search.

Google has previously indicated that monitored updates can include links to online sources. However, there is still limited information about how Google selects the websites used to provide those updates.

As the feature becomes available to more users, businesses may be able to test monitoring tasks related to their own industries and see which websites are being referenced.

Judge Dismisses Two AI Overviews Lawsuits

A US judge has dismissed antitrust complaints brought against Google by Penske Media and Chegg over the company’s AI Overviews.

US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the companies had not provided enough evidence to support their claims that Google had an agreement involving search traffic and publisher content.

The judge also found that the plaintiffs did not have sufficient legal standing to challenge Google’s alleged search monopoly. In Penske’s case, he also rejected the argument that Google’s traditional Search and AI Overviews should be treated as separate products.

The decision does not require Google to change how it uses publisher content in Search or AI Overviews.

Why It Matters

The ruling highlights the ongoing debate around how AI search features use online content and their potential impact on publishers.

While the judge acknowledged concerns about the disruption caused by new technology, he noted that antitrust law is not intended to replace action from lawmakers dealing with wider economic changes.

What These Changes Mean for SEO

This week’s developments highlight how quickly search and AI are changing the way websites are discovered and measured.

Google’s updated AI guidance makes accuracy checks an important part of the content creation process, while Gemini’s UTM tags could provide new ways of tracking AI-driven traffic.

At the same time, changes in CTR data show why SEO professionals need to understand how search data is collected before drawing conclusions from it.

With AI Mode also becoming more widely available, businesses should continue monitoring how their content appears across Google’s traditional and AI-powered search experiences.