How to Track Long-Tail Keywords for Google AI Mode in GSC 2025

Cracking the Code: How to Track Long-Tail Keywords for Google's AI Search Revolution

Right, let's have a proper chat about something that's been keeping me up at night recently. As an SEO consultant who's been grafting in this industry for over a decade—watching Google throw us curveballs left, right, and centre—I can tell you that 2025 has been absolutely mental for search evolution. And the biggest game-changer? Google's AI Mode.

Now, before you roll your eyes thinking "here we go, another AI hype piece," stick with me. This isn't some Silicon Valley fever dream we're talking about. Google's AI Mode is genuinely reshaping how people search, and it's rolling out across the pond to US users as we speak. The thing is, tracking its impact is like trying to nail jelly to the wall—frustrating, messy, and requiring a fair bit of creative thinking.

Here's the rub: Google's being typically opaque about how AI Mode data appears in Search Console. They've confirmed it'll show up in the Performance reports eventually, but right now? It's all lumped together with regular search data like beans on toast—you know it's there, but good luck separating it out.

So, I've been experimenting with a workaround that's actually quite clever, if I do say so myself. By focusing on long-tail keywords (those lovely four-word-plus queries that sound like actual human conversation), we can start identifying patterns that hint at AI-driven behaviour. It's not perfect, but it's better than flying blind.

Why Long-Tail Keywords Are Your New Best Mate

Here's something I've noticed from my client work: AI Mode absolutely loves long-tail keywords as my AI-powered strategies. You know, those specific, chatty phrases like "how do I improve my website speed for local SEO in 2025" or "what are the best content management systems for small UK businesses."

Think about it—when you're having a proper conversation with AI, you don't just grunt "SEO tools." You ask proper questions: "Which SEO tools work best for e-commerce sites with tight budgets?" That's the sweet spot we're targeting.

The challenge (and this is where it gets a bit technical, but bear with me) is that Google's lumping all this AI data into the "Web" search type in Search Console. It's like having all your shopping mixed up in one massive Tesco bag—you know you bought something good, but finding it requires proper detective work.

The Step-by-Step Method That Actually Works

I've been refining this approach through countless site audits, client projects, and more than a few late nights staring at spreadsheets. Here's exactly how to do it:

Step 1: Get Into Your Search Console (The Right Way)

Pop into your Google Search Console—and for heaven's sake, make sure you're looking at the right property. I've seen too many consultants scratching their heads over data that's completely wrong because they're looking at the HTTP version instead of HTTPS, or the wrong subdomain entirely.

Head straight to the Performance section under Search Results. This is where all the magic happens.

Step 2: Filter for "Web" Search Type (This Bit's Crucial)

At the top of the Performance report, you'll see a dropdown for Search Type. Click it and select Web. This is absolutely critical because when AI Mode data eventually shows up properly, it'll be sitting in this bucket alongside everything else.

Here's a pro tip from someone who's made this mistake: set your date range sensibly. I usually go for the last 28 days, but if you're feeling ambitious and want to spot trends since AI Mode started rolling out in the US, you could push it back to May 2025. Just remember—correlation isn't causation, and all that.

Step 3: The Regex Magic (Don't Panic, It's Easier Than It Looks)

Right, this is where we get a bit technical, but I promise it's not as scary as it sounds. We're going to use something called regex (regular expressions) to filter for queries with four or more words.

Here's what you do:

1. Click + New next to your existing filters

2. Select Query

3. Choose Custom (regex) from the dropdown

4. Chuck in this pattern:

^\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+.*$

Now, I know that looks like someone's sneezed on the keyboard, but it's actually quite elegant. Let me break it down:

• ^ means "start of the query"

• \S+ matches any word (basically, letters and numbers without spaces)

• \s+ matches the spaces between words

• We repeat this pattern four times to ensure at least four words

• .*$ allows for additional words and marks the end

So this will catch gems like "best WordPress plugins for UK small businesses" but ignore shorter phrases like "WordPress plugins."

Bonus Level: If you want to exclude your own brand name (and trust me, you do), use this slightly fancier version:

^(?!.*\byourbrandname\b).*\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+.*$

Just swap "yourbrandname" for your actual brand. This ensures you're looking at generic searches, not people specifically hunting for your company.

Step 4: Analyse Like a Proper Detective

Once you've applied the filter, head over to the Queries tab and start poking around. Sort by impressions, clicks, or CTR—whatever takes your fancy. Here's what I'm always looking for:

Conversational Queries: Things like "why isn't my WordPress site showing up in Google searches" or "how do I fix my website's mobile speed issues." These sound like actual human questions, which is exactly what AI Mode loves.

Question-Heavy Patterns: Searches starting with "how," "why," "what," "when"—basically anything that sounds like someone's having a proper conversation rather than just typing keywords like they're playing word association.

Comparison Searches: "Compare Shopify vs WooCommerce for UK businesses" or "difference between technical SEO and on-page SEO." AI loves helping people make decisions.

Here's something interesting I've noticed: since May 2025, I've seen certain long-tail queries on client sites showing sudden upticks in impressions. Now, I can't definitively prove these are AI Mode driven (Google's being as clear as mud about this), but the pattern's there. The queries that are spiking tend to be more conversational and question-based.

Step 5: Export and Get Properly Granular

For the real deep-dive analysis, you'll want to export this data:

1. Hit Export (top-right corner) and choose Google Sheets or CSV

2. Once you've got it in a spreadsheet, use this formula to double-check word counts:
   =LEN(TRIM(A1))-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(TRIM(A1)," ",""))+1
   

3. Filter for anything with 4+ words

4. Start grouping similar queries—you'll be amazed at the patterns that emerge

I like to create categories: "How-to questions," "Comparison queries," "Problem-solving searches," etc. It helps spot trends that individual queries might miss.

Step 6: Connect the Dots with GA4

This is where things get properly interesting. Take your exported query list and cross-reference it with Google Analytics 4:

1. In GA4, navigate to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition

2. Filter for Source: Google and Medium: organic

3. Look at the landing pages associated with your long-tail queries

If you're feeling fancy (and you should be), use Looker Studio to blend your GSC and GA4 data. It's like having x-ray vision for your search performance.

Step 7: Test in the Wild

Here's what I do to validate my hunches about AI-friendly queries:

Open an incognito window and test your top-performing long-tail queries. Look for AI Overviews, and if you're in the US or have access, check for AI Mode features. Document everything—which queries trigger AI features, which don't, and any patterns you spot.

Fair warning: This isn't an exact science. Google's AI features are still rolling out unevenly, and availability varies by region and user account. But it's better than guessing.

Regex Patterns for Different Query Types

If you want to get really targeted, here are some patterns I've developed for specific query types:

Question-Based Searches:

^(how|what|why|when|where|which)\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+.*$

Comparison Queries:

^(compare|versus|vs|difference|better|best)\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+.*$

Problem-Solving Searches:

^(fix|solve|troubleshoot|repair)\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+.*$

These patterns help identify the types of queries that AI Mode is designed to handle brilliantly.

The Honest Truth About Current Limitations

Let's be completely frank here—tracking AI Mode right now is like trying to watch telly through a frosted window. You can make out shapes and movement, but the detail's all blurry.

Google has confirmed that AI Mode data will eventually appear in Search Console, but it won't be separated out from regular web search data. It's all going into the same bucket, which is about as helpful as a chocolate teapot for those of us trying to understand performance.

Moreover, early testing suggests that AI Mode clicks aren't consistently showing up in Search Console yet. Google's still working out the kinks, apparently.

But here's the thing—this doesn't mean we should just sit around waiting. By establishing these baseline patterns now, we'll be ready to spot changes when better tracking becomes available.

Why This Actually Matters for Your SEO Strategy

I know what you're thinking: "This all sounds like a lot of faff for something we can't even track properly yet." And you're not wrong—it is a bit of a pain. But here's why it's worth the effort:

Content Strategy: Understanding long-tail, conversational queries helps you create content that actually answers the questions people are asking. Not just keyword-stuffed nonsense, but genuinely helpful content.

Future-Proofing: AI-driven search isn't going anywhere. By optimising for conversational queries now, you're getting ahead of the curve rather than scrambling to catch up later.

User Intent: Long-tail keywords reveal much more about what users actually want than short, generic terms. This intelligence is gold for content planning and user experience improvements.

I've had clients see significant traffic increases just from focusing on these longer, more conversational queries—regardless of whether they're triggering AI features or not. Good content that answers real questions tends to perform well across all search features.

Practical Next Steps (The Stuff You Can Actually Do Today)

1. Implement the regex filtering I've outlined above—start with the basic four-word filter and refine from there

2. Establish baseline metrics for your current long-tail performance

3. Optimise existing content to better answer conversational queries

4. Create new content specifically targeting question-based searches

5. Monitor official channels for updates on AI Mode tracking capabilities

Don't try to boil the ocean here. Pick a handful of your most important long-tail queries and start optimising content around them. Test, measure, refine, repeat.

The Bottom Line

Look, I won't pretend this is a perfect solution. Google's making us work with incomplete information, which is frustrating for those of us who like our data clean and actionable. But in my experience, the SEOs who succeed are the ones who adapt quickly to incomplete information rather than waiting for perfect clarity.

AI-driven search is happening whether we're ready or not. By focusing on long-tail, conversational keywords and establishing good tracking practices now, we're positioning ourselves to thrive as these features mature and become more transparent.

The key is to think like your users. How do they actually talk? What questions are they really asking? If you can capture that natural language in your content and track it effectively, you'll be miles ahead of competitors who are still optimising for robotic, keyword-stuffed queries.

Start small, test often, and remember—the best SEO strategy has always been creating genuinely useful content that serves real human needs. AI Mode just gives us new ways to discover and deliver on those needs.

Right then, that's your homework sorted. Time to get cracking with those regex filters and see what patterns emerge from your own data. And when you spot something interesting—because you will—document it properly. The insights you uncover today will be invaluable as AI search continues to evolve.

Good luck, and remember: in SEO, as in life, the early bird catches the worm. Or in this case, the early adopter catches the AI traffic.

Related blog posts:

Unlocking Google Search Console with Regex