Google & SEO
Learn all about the latest in digital market industry updates from Google and how they might effect your business here
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March 2026 core update complete
Just days after a quick, spam update roll-out was complete, Google have announced their latest core update has officially rolling out this morning. The March 2026 core update has been deemed a “regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites”.
As we typically expect with all core updates, this may take up to 2 weeks to complete and we will be continuing to monitor all impact for clients and competitors across various industries. Ideally, impact will always be minimal for those sites which are improving organic performance, but it’s important not to knee-jerk react to any site changes until the update has finalised and rankings have stabilised.
See updateGoogle’s March 2026 Spam Update finished in record time!
How it works: Google has fully rolled out its March 2026 Spam Update, completing the entire process in less than 24 hours. The update targets “scaled content abuse,” site reputation abuse, and expired domain abuse. Unlike updates in the past that often take weeks to deply, this fast rollout highlights a far more efficient and likely automated approach to identifying and penalising poor-quality, AI-created spam.
Why it matters for SEO: With this update rolling out so quickly, it’s likely sites will be able to see an impact almost immediately. It’s a key reminder for businesses and SEOs to consistently be prioritising strong content that highlights strong E-E-A-T (experiece, expertise, authority and trust), rather than throwing out a high volume of low-value and poor quality pages.
Read moreGoogle’s February 2026 Discover core update has completed
Google has confirmed that the February 2026 Discover core update rollout has completed. It started on 5th February and finished on 27th February. This is the first confirmed Search update of 2026 and notably, the first core update that only impacts Google Discover.
The update only applies to English-language users in the USA, however Google has confirmed this will expand globally in the coming months.
Google says the update was designed to improve the Discover experience by:
- Prioritising locally relevant content from publishers based in the users country
- Reducing sensationalist headlines and clickbait
- Elevating original and timely content from sites with clear topical expertise
Importantly, expertise is assess topic by topic, not just at domain level, which means broad publishers can still perform well, but only where Google recongises genuine authority.
Read moreGoogle Search Console announces AI assistant
Google Search Console launched a new AI powered feature this week, allowing users to configure the performance dashboard through a chat box with the AI assistant. This new feature simplifies comparing time periods, setting up a custom regex, and identifying aspects such as CTR for specific pages.
The tool is currently labelled as ‘experiment’ and will continue to be developed over the coming months. Aiming to improve accuracy and determine how effective this feature is for identifying value and areas for improvement across a website’s organic presence.
Hear form GoogleGoogle Discover Core Update
Google has begun rolling out its February Discover Core Update, a dedicated algorithm adjustment for the Google Discover feed (separate from traditional search ranking changes). The update aims to enhance the quality and relevance of content shown in personalised feeds by prioritising more locally relevant and expert content while downgrading clickbait style material.
Potential impacts:
- Local content can gain traction: Content tailored to specific regions or audiences is more likely to appear in Discover.
- Clickbait de-prioritised: Exaggerated content and engagement-bait tactics are more likely to lose Discover visibility.
- Depth and expertise rewarded: Original, authoritative and topically focused content is more likely to surface in feeds.
Key takeaway: Prioritising original reporting, topic-focused expertise and honest, accurate content will position any site to benefit as Google Discover’s feed evolves over the coming months.
Hear from GoogleAdobe move to acquire Semrush
Adobe is acquiring Semrush for roughly £1.6 Billion, a move that signals where SEO and digital marketing tools are headed as AI-driven search reshapes discovery and visibility.
The acquisition aims to combine Semrush’s search-intelligence capabilities with Adobe’s content and marketing stack which will help brands handle both traditional SEO and newer GEO channels.
As AI-powered search gains traction, the deal underscores a wider consolidation trend in the industry as marketers want unified platforms that track visibility across both classic search engines and AI-driven answer engines.
Google Search Console adds branded queries filter
Google has announced that they’re rolling out a new filter in Search Console which will allow us to filter branded queries in Performance reports. Allowing users to check the brand/generic ratio of search visibility and clicks without having to use regex.
This feature will give marketers clearer visibility into how much traffic is driven by brand, and also a sneaky insight into what Google believes is your branded terms (as you cannot specify them within the filter).
It is not yet rolled out into every property, and it cannot provide retrospective filtering, so we can only see this from the date it is available in the property.
Google’s AI Shopping Updates
Just ahead of peak shopping season, Google has released a number of handy AI updates to help you find the perfect gifts at the best prices online, although some features might only be available in the US at this point. Here’s a rundown of what’s new:
- Shop in AI mode: This latest upgrade allows you to search in a conversational way, like you’d say it to a friend, and Google will provide the goods. Think visuals, prices, reviews and even whether the item’s in stock, without the need to filter your results or try to come up with the correct variant of keyword to find exactly what you’re looking for. Results types are also tailored to the search, so it could be shopping images if you’ve asked for inspiration, or comparison tables if you are weighing up different products.
- Shop in the Gemini App: Go straight from brainstorming gifts to browsing with help from the Gemini App, with comparison tables to help decide between different products and real shopping results right within your chat, instead of just the usual text-based answers.
- Agentic AI’s call feature: If you’ve found the perfect gift but need to find it in-store, you can ask Google to call around and find it for you. This AI feature will even find out if there are any promos or discounts! When you search for certain products with a ‘near me’ search, you’ll see an option to ‘Let Google Call’. AI will do the hard work, saving you time during the busy festive season, and Google will send you an email or text with the answer.
- Price tracking with agentic AI: If the gift at the top of your child’s Christmas list is looking a bit pricey, use Google’s new price tracking technology to let you know when the price falls within your budget. Google will even buy the product on your behalf (with your permission) using Google Pay!
ChatGPT increases brand mentions as Google reduces their focus
Recent Semrush data is showing that over the last three months, ChatGPT is starting to reference more brands in their results, whilst Google’s AI Mode has narrowed its focus.
Results show that ChatGPT is experimenting with its answers, as 12% more brands were mentioned in September before declining in October.
Whereas Google’s AI Mode mentions fell by 4% during the same period. As well as this, the Semrush data shows that ChatGPT had an increase in the number of sources/sites used with figures showing an 80% increase in October, compared to just a 13% increase from Google’s AI Mode.
Whilst there is some consistency between the results of ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode when it comes to referencing brands. It’s still important to keep testing to ensure you get the best results for each model.
Read moreGoogle introduces query groups in Search Console Insights
Google has announced Query Groups, a new AI-powered feature in Search Console Insights that clusters similar search queries to help marketers understand search performance more easily.
When reviewing search data, you often see dozens of slightly different versions of the same query, which can make it hard to spot trends and plan content. Query Groups solves this by automatically grouping related queries into clusters that represent main search interests, driving traffic to your site.
What it does
- Groups similar queries – see main search topics instead of long lists of variations
- Shows performance – track total clicks per group and spot rising or falling trends
- Drill down – click a group to view all individual queries in detail
Why it matters
Query Groups helps marketers identify emerging topics, optimise content strategy, and focus on high-level insights instead of sifting through hundreds of similar queries. Available over the coming weeks for high-volume accounts, this feature will make search analysis smarter and faster.
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