Google: SEO Tools Can’t Access Our Internal Metrics
▼ Summary
– Google released AI Search optimization guidance for CMOs, stating it does not evaluate third-party SEO tools or vendors, and those tools lack access to its internal metrics.
– The guidance repeats advice from May, noting that AEO and GEO are still SEO, and tactics like llms.txt files and content chunking can be skipped.
– Google advises measuring business outcomes like leads and sales, with Search Console now reporting impressions from AI Search features and Merchant Center showing product listing appearances.
– The article clarifies that third-party AI-visibility tools do not have access to Google’s internal metrics, addressing potential discrepancies between vendor dashboards and Search Console data.
– Google plans to expand Search Console reporting for AI features over time, leaving open whether first-party data will suffice for marketing teams or if third-party tools remain necessary.
Google has issued new AI Search optimization guidance aimed specifically at chief marketing officers, making it clear that third-party SEO tools and vendors are not evaluated by the company and do not have access to its internal performance metrics.
Published on Think with Google, the company’s marketing platform, the article was written by Brendon Kraham, Google’s VP of Search and Commerce for Global Ads Solutions. Much of the advice echoes what Google shared back in May, when it stated that AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) are still just SEO, and recommended skipping tactics like llms.txt files and content chunking. The fresh detail in this update appears in the measurement section.
What Google Said About Tools and Metrics
In that portion of the guidance, Kraham wrote directly: “Google does not evaluate third-party SEO tools or vendors directly, and they have no access to our internal metrics.”
The post advises marketing leaders to focus on measurable business outcomes such as leads, sales, and sign-ups, using Google’s own reporting for visibility data. Search Console now includes impressions from AI Search features, while Merchant Center displays product listing appearances. Google describes these reports as a baseline for assessing gains from content and technical SEO improvements, with the promise of additional metrics rolling out over time.
Why This Matters
A growing number of AI-visibility tools target marketing teams, claiming to offer insights into brand presence within AI Overviews and AI Mode. With this statement, Google is telling CMOs directly that those third-party tools lack access to its internal data. That does not settle what independent tools can or cannot measure on their own. It does, however, clarify Google’s position when a vendor’s dashboard conflicts with what your Search Console data shows.
Looking Ahead
Google’s Search Console reporting for AI features remains in development, and the company says it plans to expand the available metrics over time. The open question for marketing teams is whether first-party reporting will provide enough information to effectively judge AI Search performance, or whether the gap that third-party tools aim to fill will persist.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
