Google Fixes AI Mode Traffic Attribution Bug
by Matt G. Southern for Search Engine Land
Google has resolved a glitch in its AI Mode search that was causing organic traffic to be misidentified as “direct” in Google Analytics.
The issue stemmed from AI Mode result links including a rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute, which prevented Analytics from properly tracking the source.
As of late May 2025, links no longer carry this attribute, and AI Mode visits are now correctly labeled as organic traffic, restoring accurate reporting for marketers.
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