Here are this week’s biggest stories focused on Google’s latest core update, AI Overviews, Google Business Profiles, and new insights into how AI platforms choose and display content.
Search Engine Roundtable
- Google officially launched the May 2026 Core Update, and early ranking volatility was reported across many industries. The rollout may take up to two weeks, which means rankings can continue shifting throughout the process. Local businesses should avoid making major website changes until the update is fully complete and focus on publishing helpful, trustworthy content. Read more
- Google once again explained that Search Quality Raters do not manually influence rankings. Instead, their feedback helps Google test and improve its ranking systems over time. This serves as another reminder that businesses should focus on creating useful content rather than trying to optimize for individual ranking signals. Read more
- Google has brought back view counts for photos and videos in Google Business Profiles. This gives local businesses a way to measure how much engagement their visual content receives. Businesses that regularly upload quality photos and videos can now better track which content attracts the most customer attention. Read more
Search Engine Land
- Training AI tools like Claude to match a company’s brand voice is becoming more important. Consistent prompts, style guides, and examples can help businesses create content that stays aligned with their identity while improving production speed. Read more
- FAQ content can still play a valuable role in AI search visibility when it answers real customer questions. The focus is shifting away from creating FAQ sections for SEO tricks and toward providing genuine, helpful answers that AI systems can easily understand and cite. Read more
- New data shows that searchers interact differently with AI Overviews compared to Google’s AI Mode. Users often spend more time engaging with AI-generated answers and may click fewer traditional search results. Businesses need content that can earn citations within AI-generated responses, not just organic rankings. Read more
Search Engine Journal
- New reporting suggests that brand signals from Gmail and other Google properties may help AI systems understand brand popularity and trust. While Google has not fully explained all signals used, strong brand recognition appears increasingly important in AI-driven search experiences. Read more
- AI systems are expanding the types of sources they reference when generating answers. This creates new opportunities for businesses that publish expert content, earn citations, and build authority beyond their own websites. Read more
This week’s lesson is clear: trust matters more than rankings alone. Local businesses that publish helpful content, keep their GBP active, and build strong reviews can win more visibility in search and AI results.
