Jun 15 2026
Google’s Mueller Says llms.txt Can’t Help LLMs Differentiate Sites via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google’s John Mueller argued that LLM systems can’t use files like llms.txt to decide which websites to surface for a given query.

He made the comments on a recent episode of Search Off the Record, the podcast from Google’s Search Relations team.

His comment points to a broader signal problem, not just intentional gaming. Even a well-written llms.txt file is still self-reported information from the site that wants to be chosen.

For discovery, Mueller pointed back to normal HTML pages and internal links.

What Mueller Said

The conversation started with a question about whether publishers should convert websites to Markdown for LLMs. Mueller and co-host Martin Splitt agreed that HTML is still the foundation for crawling and discovery.

The discussion got specific when Mueller turned to llms.txt. He described the discovery use case as a dead end:

“It’s basically you’re telling these systems, like, I have the best website ever. And here are all of the pages that everyone must go to. And you must buy all of my products or whatever you put in there. So in LLM system, it basically, by design, can’t trust what is here as a way of differentiating between different websites.”

His argument comes down to differentiating. If sites use llms.txt to promote themselves, the files can make similar claims. An LLM deciding which site best answers a query still needs another way to differentiate between them.

What ‘By Design’ Might Mean

“By design” could mean two different things, and Mueller didn’t clarify which.

One reading is architectural. LLM systems evaluate web content and can’t use self-reported files when picking sources.

The other reading treats it as a signal problem. Self-reported signals lose value when everyone provides them. Meta keywords stopped working for the same reason. Every site stuffed them, and search engines couldn’t extract a useful ranking signal.

Both readings reach the same conclusion on discovery. But they imply different things about whether the limitation could change over time.

Where Mueller Sees A Role

Mueller didn’t reject all uses of llms.txt. He carved out one case where it could help:

“If someone is already on your website, maybe some kind of automated system is helpful.”

He used the example of an agent trying to buy a photograph from a specific site. The LLM would visit the site and look for instructions on how to complete the purchase.

The argument splits discovery from navigation. llms.txt can’t help an LLM choose which site to visit. But it could help once the agent is already there, like a store directory for someone who already walked in.

Beyond The Gaming Argument

Mueller has called building Markdown pages for bots “a stupid idea”. He’s also compared llms.txt to the keywords meta tag.

SEJ’s Roger Montti wrote that llms.txt is “inherently untrustworthy” because nothing stops site owners from adding self-serving content. SE Ranking’s analysis of 300,000 domains found no link between llms.txt adoption and citation frequency in LLM answers.

Those arguments focused on what happens when people game the files. Mueller’s podcast comment adds the nuance that there’s no mechanism within the files to help an LLM pick one site over another.

Why This Matters

The gaming argument against llms.txt has always had a counterargument available. Platforms could learn to penalize manipulation, the way search engines handled spammy structured data.

The differentiation argument leaves a harder problem. Penalizing manipulation may address abuse, but it doesn’t explain how self-reported files help an LLM choose one site over another. Your most accurate llms.txt file still can’t tell an LLM to pick your site over a competitor’s.

Looking Ahead

Standards for how agents navigate sites haven’t settled yet, Mueller acknowledged. He mentioned WebMCP alongside other file types under discussion.

None have become a standard. By his estimate, it could take six months to a year, or longer, for agentic systems to settle on a format. The discovery layer, where HTML and internal linking already work, isn’t part of that discussion.

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Jun 15 2026
Google Ads Bidding Changes: What PPC Managers Need To Know About The 3 Updates via @sejournal, @brookeosmundson

Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin announced three bidding and budgeting updates on LinkedIn, including one change scheduled to begin rolling out on August 17.

Two of the updates expand capabilities that were previously limited or unavailable to many advertisers. Smart Bidding Exploration is now available globally, while Promotion mode is entering beta for Search and Performance Max campaigns.

The third update affects how Google optimizes campaigns that are limited by budget. While Google expects only minor fluctuations during rollout, advertisers may notice temporary performance changes as campaigns recalibrate.

Here’s a closer look at what’s changing and what it could mean for advertisers.

Smart Bidding Exploration Goes Global

Smart Bidding Exploration (SBE) is designed to help campaigns find additional converting traffic beyond the queries they would normally pursue under existing bidding targets.

Google first introduced Smart Bidding Exploration ahead of Google Marketing Live 2025 as a way to help advertisers uncover additional conversion opportunities without significantly loosening bidding targets.

Marvin announced that SBE is now available globally across all languages for Search campaigns and Performance Max campaigns without a product feed.

Google is also opening a beta for Shopping advertisers, including both standard Shopping campaigns and Performance Max campaigns that use product feeds.

One reason the feature has generated interest is that it does not require advertisers to significantly loosen ROAS targets in order to pursue additional reach. Instead, Google attempts to identify incremental conversion opportunities while continuing to optimize toward existing campaign goals.

For advertisers that feel constrained by volume, this may provide another option to test growth without making major changes to campaign structure or bidding strategy.

Promotion Mode Enters Beta For Search And PMax

Google is also introducing Promotion mode in beta for Search and Performance Max campaigns.

The feature allows advertisers to temporarily increase budget flexibility and adjust ROAS tolerance around specific events such as product launches, seasonal promotions, or flash sales.

According to Marvin, Promotion mode can also be used alongside campaign total budgets.

Historically, advertisers often had to manually adjust budgets and bidding targets around promotional periods. Promotion mode appears intended to automate some of that process.

For advertisers that regularly make manual bidding adjustments around promotional periods, the feature could simplify some of that planning and give Google additional flexibility during short-term demand spikes.

Google has not yet provided details about beta eligibility or rollout availability. Advertisers should check their accounts before building campaign plans around the feature.

How Google Is Changing Budget-Limited Campaign Optimization

The third update is the one most likely to affect reporting.

Starting August 17, Google is making backend bidding target optimization changes aimed at budget-limited campaigns.

Per Marvin’s LinkedIn post, she stated:

Starting August 17, we’re making backend bidding target optimization updates to help campaigns limited by budget see more predictable performance in line with CPA and ROAS targets, especially when budgets increase.

Marvin added that when this goes into effect, Google expects a brief calibration period during which some advertisers will see minor performance fluctuations.

Google did not provide details on how long calibration may last or how significant the changes could be. 

Based on Google’s description, the goal is to reduce some of the volatility that can occur when budget-constrained campaigns receive additional budget while continuing to optimize toward CPA and ROAS targets.

To give advertisers lead time, Google will begin showing notifications in Google Ads accounts starting July 6. Those notifications will include historical campaign performance data and recommendations related to the upcoming changes.

Marvin also noted that advertisers may need to adjust CPA or ROAS targets to ensure they accurately reflect business goals before the rollout begins.

What This Means For Advertisers

While all three updates focus on bidding and budgeting, they address different challenges.

Smart Bidding Exploration is aimed at advertisers looking for additional volume without making major changes to existing bidding strategies. The Shopping beta will likely attract attention from advertisers that have been looking for more ways to expand reach beyond current query coverage.

Promotion mode is focused on a different problem. Many advertisers adjust budgets and bidding targets manually around launches, seasonal promotions, and peak demand periods. If the feature performs as advertised, it could reduce some of that management overhead.

The August 17 optimization update stands apart because advertisers do not need to adopt a new feature for it to affect campaign behavior.

That makes the July 6 account notifications particularly important for teams managing budget-limited campaigns. Google’s recommendation to review CPA and ROAS targets suggests that some advertisers may discover their existing targets no longer reflect current business conditions or business goals.

For agencies, this may also be a good opportunity to proactively discuss the upcoming change with clients before the rollout begins.

What Advertisers Should Do

Smart Bidding Exploration and Promotion mode are both optional features. In my opinion, the August 17 rollout deserves the most attention because it affects campaign behavior whether advertisers adopt the new features or not.

Here are a few areas worth reviewing:

  • Review the July 6 account notifications and historical performance data when they become available.
  • Revisit CPA and ROAS targets to confirm they still align with current business goals.
  • Identify campaigns that regularly operate under budget constraints and monitor them closely during the rollout period.
  • Evaluate Smart Bidding Exploration and Promotion mode if they become available in your account and align with your campaign objectives.

Most advertisers will likely spend more time monitoring this update than making major account changes. However, campaigns that frequently hit budget limits deserve a closer review before August 17.

Final Takeaways

The Smart Bidding Exploration expansion and Promotion mode beta give advertisers additional tools to test.

The August 17 rollout is different because it affects how Google handles optimization for budget-limited campaigns behind the scenes.

Google is providing advance notice through July 6 account notifications, giving advertisers time to review existing CPA and ROAS targets before the change takes effect.

For most accounts, the update will likely be something to monitor rather than something that requires immediate action. Still, any campaign that regularly operates under budget constraints deserves a closer look before August arrives.

Featured image: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock

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Jun 15 2026
Google’s Unexpected Take On Site Folder Structure And SEO via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Google’s John Mueller answered a question about website category structure in URLs. The context was about a website that offered the same content in multiple languages and the person asking the question wanted to know what was the best way to structure the category URLs.

The main site is in English, representing their primary market.

Their current category structure resembles:

  • example.com/blog
  • example.com/en-us/blog

and the internationlized versions have category structures like this: site.com/fr-fr/blog

A person asked the following question on Reddit:

“Do we need localized folders with duplicate content for our home market on our site?
Hi all,

I’m familiar with hreflang tags and setting up alternate folders and references for different countries and languages, but I have a specific question for our home market. My client has a large site serving many international clients with localized content, but they’re a US-based company and that’s where the majority of their user base is.

At the moment they have 25+ international localizations across all of their core folders, including a /en-us/ folder for all their main pages.

The issue is, the content on the main site and in these /en-us/ folders is the same, so we’re splitting page authority and creating potential duplicate content issues which (as far as I can see) provide no discernible benefit….

Am I missing anything in my understanding of this?

Is there any specific benefit to the /en-us/ folders we’d be losing?

Are there other considerations or factors I should be thinking about?”

John Mueller’s Answer

Mueller’s answer focused on the impact to analytics and being able to accurately track the different visitors. His answer was indifferent to common SEO concerns like keywords or topical themes for the category names. That in itself is interesting and worth considering.

Here’s his answer:

“I’d generally recommend just one, but this likely isn’t going to make or break your site.

IMO the advantage of using /en-us/blog/ instead of /blog/ for US content (on an internation site that uses /LL-CC/anything URL patterns) is that it’s easier for you to filter & slice your metrics by country/language. I don’t think you’d see a practical SEO difference between using /blog/ or /en-us/blog/ for your US content. /blog/ looks nice, but /en-us/blog/ is also not super-weird.”

Many SEOs are rightfully concerned about the site architecture, with the words used in category folders, with the main concern being if keywords are being used and how that might influence the ability to rank, a concern the Redditor shared.

Mueller’s answer didn’t mention keywords but rather focused on the practical angle of how that will look for analytics. In fact, he said that in this specific case he didn’t expect any kind of SEO difference.

Featured Image by Shutterstock/SNEHIT PHOTO

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Jun 15 2026
Google Cloud Announces The Open Knowledge Format via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Google announced the Open Knowledge Format (OKF), a new open specification for organizing and exchanging the knowledge that AI systems need in order to perform useful work.

The announcement explains the reason for developing this new specification:

“As foundation models continue to improve, the lack of relevant context often limits what they can do, especially as they are used to build agentic systems. While these models can help you write code, summarize documents, or analyze a dataset, they still need the right information to produce accurate and actionable results. “

AI Agents Need Context

AI systems often need knowledge that exists outside the model, including how data is structured, how systems work, how metrics are defined, and how internal processes operate.

That knowledge is usually scattered across catalogs, wikis, documentation, repositories, shared drives, and other internal systems, forcing AI agents to assemble context before they can complete a task.

Google says OKF is meant to solve that problem by turning scattered knowledge sources into a common format that can move between humans, AI agents, tools, and organizations.

What Open Knowledge Format Is

OKF is a format for representing organizational knowledge in a way that can be shared between different AI agents, tools, and organizations.

The format organizes concepts such as datasets, metrics, APIs, tables, and runbooks into documents that can be read by both humans and AI systems.

Google designed OKF to be simple and independent of any specific platform, allowing the same knowledge to be shared between different AI agents, tools, and organizations.

The announcement explains:

“To make the format concrete, we’re publishing reference implementations at both the producer and consumer ends:

  • An enrichment agent that walks a BigQuery dataset, drafts an OKF concept document for every table and view, then runs a second LLM pass that crawls authoritative documentation and enriches each concept with citations, schemas, and join paths.
  • A static HTML visualizer that turns any OKF bundle into an interactive graph view in a single self-contained file; no backend, no install on the viewing side, no data leaves the page.
  • Three ready-to-browse sample bundles: GA4 e-commerce, Stack Overflow, and Bitcoin public datasets, produced by the reference agent and committed to the repo as living examples of conformant OKF.

These are proofs of concept, deliberately. The agent demonstrates one way to produce OKF; nothing about the format requires a specific agent framework or LLM. The visualizer demonstrates one way to consume it; nothing about the format requires HTML or a graph view. We expect (and want!) the ecosystem of producers and consumers to grow far beyond what we’ve shipped.”

Who OKF Is For

OKF is designed around a producer-and-consumer model. Some users create, edit, and maintain the knowledge. Others consume it through AI agents, LLMs, software systems, or internal tools.

AI Agents and LLMs

AI agents and LLMs are the primary consumers of OKF. They use the format to access the structured context and curated knowledge needed to perform tasks and produce accurate results.

Useful For AI Agents And LLMs

  • Coding agents
  • Data analysis agents
  • Research agents
  • Internal enterprise assistants
  • Agentic workflows

Humans And OKF

OKF uses markdown files and YAML frontmatter, making the format readable and editable by people using standard tools.

People Who May Find OKF Useful

  • AI developers
  • Software engineers
  • Data engineers
  • Analytics teams
  • Technical writers
  • Business teams

Organizations And OKF

Organizations can use OKF to package and share institutional knowledge that would otherwise remain scattered across documentation systems, metadata catalogs, repositories, and internal tools.

Organizations That May Find OKF Useful

  • Organizations building AI agents
  • Data teams
  • Engineering teams
  • Knowledge management teams

Availability

Google is proposing a common format for representing organizational knowledge rather than a new platform for managing it.  The OKF specification, reference implementations, and sample bundles are available on GitHub. The announcement makes a point of saying that it is a starting point:

“OKF v0.1 is a starting point, not a finished standard. The format will evolve as more producers and consumers emerge and as we collectively learn what knowledge representations agents actually need in practice.

We’re publishing in the open from day one because that’s the only way a knowledge format earns its name, whether you’re building a knowledge catalog, an enrichment pipeline, a wiki tailored to AI agents, or anything in the AI knowledge domain.”

An explainer tweet by Tech With Mak shared why this solves a problem:

“The most underrated idea in agent tooling this year might be a gist Andrej Karpathy wrote about “LLM Wikis” – markdown libraries that agents read, update, and maintain on their own.

What followed was predictable. Teams everywhere started building their own version – AGENTS[.]md, CLAUDE[.]md, Obsidian vaults wired into coding agents, folders of index[.]md and log[.]md files agents consult before doing anything.

…Google just tried to close that gap with the Open Knowledge Format – a spec that says => here’s the one field every concept needs (type), here’s a small set of optional fields if you want them queryable, and otherwise, write however you want.

It’s not a new tool or platform. It’s an agreement on shape, which is exactly what Karpathy’s pattern needed to stop being a hundred incompatible reinventions of the same idea.”

Read the original announcement here:

Introducing the Open Knowledge Format

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Poetra.RH

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Jun 13 2026
Government Order Shuts Down Fable 5 Despite Anthropic’s Objections via @sejournal, @martinibuster

The United States government has issued a national security legal order to Anthropic to suspend access to their new Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI Models. The order effectively compels Anthropic to cut access for everyone as it would essentially be impossible to check foreign national status.

Export Control Directive

The United States government issued an Export Control Directive, which is a legal order that restricts or suspends the transfer of specific products, data, or technologies to foreign countries or citizens of another country.

Anthropic announced:

“The US government, citing national security authorities, has issued an export control directive to suspend all access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 by any foreign national, whether inside or outside the United States, including foreign national Anthropic employees. The net effect of this order is that we must abruptly disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all our customers to ensure compliance. Access to all other Anthropic models will not be affected.”

The order was received by 5:21 PM EST. Anthropic’s explanation of the order cites that the United States government “believes: there is a way to bypass safety guardrails in Fable 5. Anthropic considers the examples they reviewed as minor vulnerabilities.

Anthropic Contradicts Government’s Cybersecurity Concern

Anthropic’s response is that they already have strong safeguards in place that make it unlikely for someone to misuse their Fable 5 AI Model. Their position appears to push back on the government assertion that there’s security risk.

They explained:

“We have instituted strong safeguards that greatly reduce the likelihood that Fable is misused for tasks related to cybersecurity (among others). In fact, our safeguards are so strong that many users have complained that they are overly broad.

…Given that perfect jailbreak resistance does not appear to be possible today, Anthropic adopted a defense in depth strategy with Fable 5. We aimed to make jailbreaks either narrow (in the case of non-universal jailbreaks) or very expensive to produce (in the case of universal jailbreaks), and to combine this with thorough monitoring to quickly detect and shut down any successful attacks.

We stand by this defense in depth strategy. It reduces the risks posed by Fable, making them comparable to the risks of existing models already deployed across the industry.

We have not even received a disclosure of a concerning non-universal potential jailbreak that led to a harmful result. The potential jailbreaks that have been disclosed to us are either entirely benign responses or are minor findings that provide no Mythos-specific uplift.”

United States Government Dispute With Anthropic

The United States government has had an ongoing dispute with Anthropic that arose from Anthropic’s refusal to allow their products used for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapon systems, which are weapons that can independently select their targets and engage without additional human involvement.

Featured Image by Shutterstock/gguy

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Jun 12 2026
Google Publishes Tennessee Search “Blacklist” Guidance via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Google is complying with a new law in Tennessee that makes it accountable to small businesses in the event of blacklisting from search results or having their reviews removed. The new law is part of a broader societal concern about big tech monopolies that could harm small businesses. Google published guidelines specific to Tennessee businesses that make it easier for them to receive notifications related to what the law defines as blacklisting.

SB 2262

SB 2262 is a new law passed in Tennessee that goes into effect on July 1 and offers protections to small businesses that experience “blacklisting” by a search engine or see their reviews reduced by 25% or more.

The law uses the word “blacklist” to mean one of three things:

“(i) reduce the visibility or accessibility of a small business’s website on an online search engine;

(ii) remove a small business’s website or the search result for such website from an online search engine; or

(iii) delete or otherwise remove from the online search engine 25% or more of the reviews of a small business.”

Violations of the new law enables small businesses to bring a court action against Google or any other search engine.”

Small businesses are defined as businesses with 50 or less employees.

The original version of the law required search engines to notify small businesses if they have been blacklisted. The law that was actually passed was amended on April 6, 2026 removed that requirement and replaced it with a small business’s right to contact the search engine and demand an explanation.

The amended law says:

“…authorize a small business that believes an online search engine has blacklisted the small business to contact the online search engine and request a response concerning the action. The search engine must provide a response to such request within five business days that includes an explanation of the action and justification for the action; the process, steps, and requirements necessary for the small business to appeal the action or be restored or re-indexed;…”

Google’s Response

Google has published new guidelines that are specific to small businesses in Tennessee which specify actions that small businesses must take in order to ensure that they receive notices that they are required to send.

The new guidelines state:

“Tennessee SB 2262 (2026) entitles certain small businesses in Tennessee to be notified if their digital listings or customer reviews are removed or restricted from online search engines. To make sure you receive these notifications from Google Search, be sure to do the following:

Verify your website in Search Console

Claim and manage other business listings on Google that may appear on Search”

The new guidelines explain the benefits of signing up for Search Console:

“Spam and policy violations: Get notified if your site is in violation of Google’s spam policies and other policy violations.

Legal removals: Get alerts if content was removed due to local legal requirements.

Security issues: Get notified about malware or hacked content on your site.”

It also explains the benefits of claiming a Google Business Profile and getting started with a Merchant Center listing.

Takeaway

The new law is meant to bring more transparency to the way search engines list and delist small businesses and to make search engines more accountable to businesses.

Losing a large number of positive reviews can cause severe business harm. The Tennessee law seeks to give these business owners legal power to hold search engines like Google more accountable for their decisions.

Featured Image by Shutterstock/rudall30

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Jun 12 2026
MonsterInsights Website Compromised And Sending Phishing Emails via @sejournal, @martinibuster

MonsterInsights website has been under attack, is said to have been hacked, and is sending phishing emails to its customers. The free version of MonsterInsights is installed in over two million websites and is claimed to be installed on a total of three million sites.

MonsterInsights Under Attack

The official MonsterInsights website is down and the home page has been replaced with the following notice:

“Our website is offline as we’re mitigating an attack. Your analytics and tracking aren’t affected.

Please DO NOT download MonsterInsights from any 3rd party website as there is a known phishing attempt happening right now.

Thank you for your patience.

If you have any questions, please reach out to support@monsterinsights.com”

Screenshot Of MonsterInsights Website

MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is a WordPress plugin installed in over two million websites. It connects to a user’s Google Analytics (GA) account and provides website traffic insights within a dashboard inside WordPress. It also enables businesses to more easily use GA’s complex tracking features. MonsterInsights also offers a Pro version of the plugin with more features that would appeal to ecommerce stores.

Reports Of Phishing Emails Originating From MonsterInsights

Users of the plugin are reporting having received phishing emails from MonsterInsights. Posts on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) confirm that this is happening.

@alliemims posted on X:

“I was coming here to reach out as I got those phishing emails. I didn’t interact with them. I went to your site to try to report it via contact form but got a 403. Sorry to hear you are dealing with this nonsense. Best of luck! 🙏”

@biancavandepoel tweeted:

“Is there some way you can get in touch with your clients by e-mail ASAP? Because it seems like the attackers already found them.”

MonsterInsights Response

MonsterInsights posted a response on X warning users to not download or install their plugin from any other website, confirming that the emails are a phishing attempt.

“We are currently mitigating an attack – DO NOT install MonsterInsights from any 3rd party website as there is a known phishing attempt happening right now.”

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Sadi Hockmuller

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Jun 12 2026
Google Rolls Out AI Mode Information Agents To Ultra Subscribers via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has launched information agents in Search for AI Ultra subscribers, covering all AI Mode languages and markets.

Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, announced the availability in a post on X and said access will expand to more people this summer.

The launch comes roughly three weeks after Google announced the feature at I/O. The agents monitor topics in the background and send updates with links to the web.

How Information Agents Work

Users ask AI Mode to keep them updated on a topic, and the agent watches for new information.

Stein described the feature in his announcement:

“Just ask AI Mode to keep you updated on any topic, and your agent will work around the clock on your behalf to send detailed updates and links to the web the moment new info is available.”

At I/O, Google said the agents look across the web, including blogs, news sites, and social posts. They also tap the company’s real-time data on finance, shopping, and sports.

How The Launch Compares To The I/O Plan

When Google announced information agents in May, the company said they would launch first for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer.

Today’s availability covers Ultra subscribers only, and Stein’s post doesn’t say when Pro subscribers will get access.

He called the Ultra rollout a first group:

“Excited for this first group to try agents in Search! We’ll expand to more people this summer.”

Why This Matters

Information agents change when your content can reach searchers. Instead of running the same query each week, a person gets an update when something new appears.

Because the updates include links to the web, agent notifications could still bring traffic. Stein’s post doesn’t say how agents choose which sources to include in an update.

The Ultra requirement keeps the initial audience small. If access expands as planned this summer, more recurring queries could move from active searches to background monitoring.

Looking Ahead

Stein’s post doesn’t say whether the feature will eventually reach free users.

At I/O, Google also said agentic booking capabilities will roll out to everyone in the U.S. this summer. Custom experiences with Antigravity in Search are planned for the coming months, starting with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.

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Jun 12 2026
Google Extends Dynamic Search Ads Migration Deadline via @sejournal, @brookeosmundson

Google is giving advertisers more time to prepare for the transition from Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) to AI Max for Search.

In a LinkedIn post, Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin announced that the automatic transition deadline has moved from September 2026 to February 2027.

According to Marvin, the change comes in response to advertiser feedback. Google said the extension will give advertisers more time to prepare and avoid major account changes during the busy Q4 season.

What’s Changing

When Google first announced its plans for DSA earlier this year, the company said existing DSA campaigns and ad groups would automatically move to AI Max beginning in September 2026.

Now, that timeline has changed.

Advertisers that have not manually upgraded their DSA campaigns will now have until February 2027 before Google automatically transitions them to AI Max.

Google continues to recommend using the manual upgrade tools rather than waiting for the automatic transition. According to Marvin, those tools will begin appearing in advertiser accounts over the next few weeks.

The company says manual upgrades provide more oversight and control during the process.

However, not every part of the rollout is being delayed.

Google confirmed that Automatically Created Assets (ACA) and campaign-level broad match settings will still transition to AI Max as planned in September 2026.

Additional Reporting Updates Coming

Alongside the deadline extension, Google also shared new details about reporting improvements for Final URL Expansion (FUE).

According to Marvin, advertisers can expect:

  • Account-level Final URL Expansion reporting
  • Additional performance metrics for FUE assets
  • Bulk asset removal capabilities directly from reporting tables

Google did not provide a specific launch date, but said those updates are coming soon.

The announcement follows ongoing advertiser requests for greater visibility into how Final URL Expansion selects and serves landing pages.

AI Max Is Now the Default for New Search Campaigns

Google also revealed that AI Max is now enabled by default when creating new Search campaigns.

According to Marvin, Google observed faster first conversions during testing, particularly within the first two weeks after launch.

Advertisers can still disable AI Max settings if they prefer a more traditional campaign setup.

The change gives new advertisers immediate access to AI Max without requiring additional setup during campaign creation.

Looking Ahead and What To Do Next

The deadline may have moved, but Google’s recommendation has not changed.

Advertisers that still rely on DSA campaigns should begin evaluating AI Max before the automatic transition arrives. The additional time allows teams to test controls, review reporting, and better understand how Final URL Expansion behaves within their accounts.

For now, the most immediate action is to watch for the manual upgrade tools as they become available. Google continues to position those tools as the preferred path for moving from DSA to AI Max.

Featured image: El editorial / Shutterstock.com

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Jun 12 2026
Reddit Climbs, Clicks Drop, GBP Comes To GA4 – SEO Pulse via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Welcome to the week’s Pulse: updates affect how you read post-update rankings, what new click data says about Google traffic, and where your local reporting lives.

Here’s what matters for you and your work.

Reddit Gained Top Positions In Every Niche After The May Core Update

SE Ranking analyzed 100,000 keywords and found Reddit grew its top 3 presence in all 20 niches it tracks.

Key facts: Reddit ranked first for 13,872 keywords after May, up 54% from 8,993 in March. Gains were strongest in experience-led niches, with Reddit holding 18% of top 3 in pets. YMYL categories saw less change, healthcare rising from 0.93% to 1.33%. Two-thirds of domains dropped in March didn’t recover in May.

Why This Matters

The niche-level split changes how you interpret “Reddit is growing” headlines. An 18% top 3 share in pets is a different competitive picture than 1.33% in healthcare.

The direction also reversed from March, when Amsive’s analysis found Reddit and similar platforms losing visibility. Core updates have moved the same platforms in different directions, which makes it risky to draw conclusions from a single update.

Most domains that lost visibility after the March update didn’t gain it back after the May update. For websites waiting on a rebound, the data shows another core update doesn’t guarantee one.

Read our full coverage: Reddit Gained Top Positions In Every Niche After May Core Update

SparkToro Data Shows 68% Of Google Searches End Without A Click

SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin published new U.S. zero-click data drawn from Similarweb’s clickstream panel, covering January through April.

Key facts: In the panel, 68% of Google searches ended without a click. For every 1,000 searches, 232 clicks reached the open web. Of all clicks, 66% went to the open web, 27% to Alphabet properties, and 6% to ads.

Why This Matters

When stakeholders expect click rates from a few years ago, this gives you something concrete to point to.

The measurement angle matters as much as the traffic angle. Google’s new AI performance reports in Search Console show impressions, and independent data keeps showing fewer clicks. Visibility tracking now means watching where you appear, not just what arrives in your analytics.

What SEO Professionals Are Saying

In a comment on Fishkin’s LinkedIn post, Darren Shaw, founder of Whitespark, connected the data to Google’s new Search Console reports:

“I shared a post recently talking about how Google will be showing impression data from Ai overviews and AI mode in search console. Lots of people complaining in the comments that there was no click data. I thought, “you don’t get it”.”

Andre Alpar, board member and advisor at Alpar Ventures, questioned whether searches that lead to follow-up searches should count in another comment:

“A portion of the 29% that do “another search” do a click afterwards on thair next search. So they are not 100% “zero click” imho.”

The reactions split between accepting the click decline and debating how to count it.

Read our full coverage: Google Search Sends 23% Of Queries To The Open Web

Google Updates Its SEO Documentation

Google published a new Search Central page covering third-party SEO tools, services, and advice. It also updated its “Do you need an SEO?” page with about seven changes.

Key facts: The new page advises businesses to check SEO advice, including AEO and GEO, against Google’s documentation. The updated hiring guidance warns about third-party tools, mentions AEO and GEO services, and now encourages business owners to contact the FTC about fraudulent SEO services, a first for this page.

Why This Matters

The guidance splits SEO information into two categories. One is third-party opinion based on data or experience. The other is Google’s documentation, which the page recommends for weighing everything else.

Roger Montti’s analysis reads the wording as aimed at agencies and people selling SEO services, which puts you on the receiving end.

The “Do you need an SEO?” page is what business owners find when they look into getting help. It tells them to weigh your recommendations, and your tools, against Google’s documentation.

The AEO and GEO mentions give the terminology debate an official anchor. When a client asks whether they need a separate AEO strategy, Google’s answer is now on the record.

Read our full coverage: Google’s New Guidance Claims Authority Over SEO, Tools, And AEO/GEO and Google’s Updated Guidance Urges FTC Complaints Against Shady SEOs

Google Business Profile Data Connects To Analytics & Gemini

Two updates put Google Business Profile data in new places. Google documented a native Business Profile link in Google Analytics and announced a Business Profile connection for the Gemini app.

Key facts: The Analytics link brings seven Business Profile metrics into reports, including calls, directions, and bookings. Once connected, Gemini can draft review replies, edit profiles, and answer performance questions. The Gemini features begin rolling out this month, the Business Profile connection follows in the coming weeks.

Why This Matters

Local reporting has lived in separate places for years. Website data sits in Analytics, while calls and direction requests sit in the Business Profile dashboard. The Analytics link closes part of that gap.

Whether it helps you depends on your setup. Analytics combines metrics across linked profiles, so multi-location reporting still needs the Business Profile dashboard or the API.

What Local SEO Professionals Are Saying

Darren Shaw welcomed the Analytics link in a LinkedIn post:

“Google Business Profile data is coming to Google Analytics.

You’ll soon be able to connect your Google Business Profile directly to GA4 and see local performance data inside Google Analytics. This means you’ll be able to report on things like:

  • Calls
  • Bookings
  • Direction requests
  • Website clicks
  • Total interactions

And this is great because local SEO reporting has always been messy.

Your website data is in one place, your GBP data is somewhere else, and you have to piece it all together manually.

Now you’ll be able to see more of that data in one place and get a clearer picture of how your Business Profile is helping people find you, contact you, and visit your website.”

In a comment on Shaw’s post, Kaycie Mandour-Smith, managing director at Infinity Dental Web, a digital marketing firm for dentists, described a restriction she ran into:

“Was so excited for this and then…. if you have your listings in a manager acct group, you can’t connect them. Have to ungroup them in order to be able to link. Hoping newer iterations will allow you to select a group and then a profile.”

Read our full coverage: Google Analytics Is Adding Google Business Profile Data and Google Is Adding Business Profile Tools To The Gemini App

Theme Of The Week: Search Work Keeps Moving Onto The Big Platforms

Each story this week shows more of the search workflow moving onto large platforms.

SparkToro’s data measures fewer clicks reaching independent websites. SE Ranking’s numbers show top positions collecting on Reddit across every niche it tracks. The Business Profile connections move local reporting and management into Google Analytics and Gemini.

This week is less about any single feature and more about where the work gets done. The data, reporting, tools, and advice all sit closer to the big platforms than they did a month ago.

Top Stories Of The Week:

More Resources:

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