Google Lied About Click Data — Here’s What Actually Drives Rankings in 2026

About this episode

This episode explores how Google actually uses click data and its implications for search rankings in the context of AI Overviews.

Send us Fan Mail This episode explores how Google actually uses click data (despite years of denial) and how that reality intersects with the rise of AI Overviews. Cyrus Shepherd connects the dots between antitrust trial revelations, API leaks, and patents, showing that click behavior—especially “last longest click”—is a core ranking signal. The discussion then shifts to how AI Overviews are reshaping search: Reducing traditional clicksForcing Google to predict user behavior with less dataInc...

People in this episode

Hosts: Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, David Mihm

Guest: Cyrus Shepherd

Topics covered

• Google click data
• AI Overviews
• search rankings
• user behavior
• antitrust
• API leaks

Keywords

• click data
• search rankings
• AI Overviews
• user behavior
• antitrust trial
• API leaks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Google, AI Overviews

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