Google Warns Position Reporting May Shift. Blame AI Overviews. The Ground Was Never Stable.
Google indicated that Search Console position reporting may change as Search, AI Mode, and AI Overviews continue to evolve. The announcement surfaced in search forum discussions covered by the Search Engine Roundtable on September 16, 2026. Additional topics included a Merchant Center expansion of conversational attribute specs and ongoing debates about topical authority.
This illustrates what I call metric destabilization by generative interface. When a search engine fragments its results page across AI summaries and traditional links, the positional ranking you have been optimistically tracking becomes a measurement of a system that no longer exists in one consistent form. The lesson, which I suspect many of you need repeated, is that any KPI tied to a platform you do not control is a lease, not an asset.
Google itself flagged the potential reporting change. Barry Schwartz, founder of the Search Engine Roundtable and News Editor of Search Engine Land, surfaced the discussion through his forum coverage.
- Open Google Search Console and navigate to the Performance report. Note your current average position metric.
- Search for a term where your site ranks and observe whether AI Overviews appear above traditional results.
- Compare the position number Search Console reports against where your link actually visually appears on the page. Expect a discrepancy. That gap is your education.