Google confirmed it's testing, through Search Console, a pilot that pays select publishers when their content directly shapes an AI Overviews, AI Mode, or Gemini answer — not when it simply shows up linked afterward.
The program runs inside Search Console, and Google confirmed to the trade press that it's an early-stage pilot. Content earns compensation when it shapes an AI answer at the moment it's generated; links or fact-checks that appear after the answer don't qualify. It's an important distinction: this isn't a traditional "pay per click" scheme, but compensation for contributing to the generative process itself.
Publishers included in the pilot see a monthly earnings figure and can opt out at any time. However, Google hasn't publicly explained how it calculates the payment amount. Dozens of publishers or more have reportedly been contacted, most of them small and mid-sized sites, many outside the traditional news sector.
This pilot arrives as the ecosystem around "brand visibility in AI search" is maturing fast: the startup Profound reached a $1.8 billion valuation betting precisely on measuring and optimizing that visibility, and firms like Deloitte are already openly talking about a new discipline, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), as the natural successor to traditional SEO.
Carlos Montiel is an enterprise AI solutions architect. He implements LLMs, Agents, RAG, and orchestrators for companies across Guatemala and Latin America. Reach out for a consultation.
Contact Carlos Montiel