What's changing in Google search

What changed. The September 2026 spam update ran nearly 14 days (Sept 24 – Oct 8) — the longest since August 2025. Google says its spam team is now using AI to catch more spam, and called out scaled, mass-produced content as a bigger problem than link spam. Manual penalties also rose in October.

Why it matters. Sites built on thin, templated, or AI-only pages are being demoted or dropped. Google also rewrote its quality documentation: human fact-checking of AI output is now described as critical, and fabricated author names count as deception.

What we do about it. Every page we publish for you is written for your real business, reviewed by a human, and carries a named expert. We don't mass-generate content — which is exactly what this update rewards.

What changed. Google rewrote its Maps and Business Profile content policy with a section written just for business owners. The listing itself may no longer contain time-bound promotions, pricing, or direct calls to action — those belong in posts. Posts, in turn, may not contain phone numbers, emails, or social handles Google can't verify, and may be removed if they do.

Why it matters. A lot of businesses were taught to pack their description with deals and phone numbers. That now risks content removal — and with AI answers reading your profile as their source of truth, a clean, accurate listing matters more than ever.

What we do about it. We audit every client's profile against the new rules: permanent facts in the listing, offers in posts, contact through the verified Call button. If we manage your profile, this cleanup is already on our list.

What changed. When someone suggests an edit to your Business Profile — hours, phone number, category — Google now notifies you and gives you 4 days to accept or reject it. If you don't respond, Google may publish the edit automatically if other public sources seem to support it.

Why it matters. A wrong edit that slips through can misroute customers for weeks before anyone notices. Four days is not much time if nobody is watching the listing.

What we do about it. Profile monitoring is included in every package we sell. We watch for suggested edits on every client listing and reject anything inaccurate inside the window.

What changed. Google rewrote how Local Services Ads charges for leads: a missed call during your listed business hours can now be charged as a lead if the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds. Your ad schedule and your profile hours both count.

Why it matters. Not answering the phone was already costing you the customer. Now it can cost you the ad spend too. The hours on your profile are effectively a promise Google holds you to.

What we do about it. This is the clearest case yet for AI call answering: every call picked up on the first ring, 24/7, so a missed call never becomes a lost job and a wasted lead fee. We also keep profile hours accurate so the billing window matches reality.

What changed. Google Search added agentic booking for local services. For categories like home repair, beauty, and pet care, someone searching can ask Google to phone businesses for them, gather pricing and availability, and hand back booking links.

Why it matters. A real person is no longer the only one calling you. If nobody answers, the assistant simply moves to the next business and you never see the lead. Answering every call, every time, is now a ranking-adjacent business decision.

What we do about it. We recommend an AI phone assistant on every account that takes inbound calls, so calls are answered 24/7 with accurate hours, services, and pricing — and every inquiry is captured.

What changed. Business Profiles are rolling out a Collected info section showing details Google gathered from phone and chat conversations with the business, with the option to delete individual items.

Why it matters. Google has been quietly changing profile details based on call transcripts. Wrong info here can misroute customers without the owner ever knowing why.

What we do about it. We check Collected info during the monthly profile review on every account and remove anything inaccurate.

What changed. The industry calls this AEO — Answer Engine Optimization — being the business an AI answer names, in Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode as well as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini. Google states there is no special markup or hidden setting for it. The same signals that power Search power the AI answers, and Google's one explicit tip is to keep your Business Profile current.

Why it matters. AEO isn't a separate service you bolt on, and it isn't something you can buy your way into. Your Google presence is the foundation: a complete, verified profile with real, recent reviews is the fact source these answer engines lean on for who you are, what you do, where you work, and whether you're any good. Weak Google presence, weak AEO. Strong Google presence, and you get named in both places at once.

What we do about it. We treat SEO and AEO as one job. We keep your profile complete and fresh, keep genuine reviews coming, and write your pages the way an answer engine quotes them: the real questions people ask, answered directly, with your services, areas, hours, and prices stated plainly — plus a named expert behind the content so the answer has someone credible to cite.

What changed. Multiple agencies report Google leaning on a steady stream of recent reviews rather than lifetime totals, and filtering reviews that look solicited on the spot or written from a script.

Why it matters. Stacking reviews in a single push can now do less than a handful of honest reviews every month — and pressured requests risk being discarded.

What we do about it. We keep review invitations steady and unscripted for service businesses. For schools we don't send review requests at all — we monitor reviews and handle responses instead.