Local search &
platform news
Timely local SEO updates for multi-location brands: Google Business Profile, Apple Business, Meta, AI search, and EU regulation, explained for the central teams that manage hundreds or thousands of locations.
July 2026
Apple loses EU court fight over DMA gatekeeper status
The EU General Court upheld Apple's gatekeeper status under the Digital Markets Act, keeping the App Store and iOS open to rivals. What it means at scale.
Marcus OlssonBrave's Place Search API undercuts Google Maps on cost
Brave relaunched its Place Search API at $5 per 1,000 requests, roughly 6 to 7 times cheaper than Google Maps Platform for places data at scale.
Marcus OlssonChatGPT's hidden routing changes which brands get cited
New research shows ChatGPT routes the same query through different backend search pipelines, and which one runs changes the sources it can cite.
Astghik NikoghosyanGoogle Business Profile appeals add evidence uploads
Google Business Profile now takes evidence uploads inside the appeal itself and moves the 10+ location bulk reinstatement question to the start of the flow.
Malin Dotevall BanksSearch Console adds social and video platform reports
Google Search Console now reports how your Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube content performs in Search and Discover, a new measurement view for brand teams.
Astghik NikoghosyanChatGPT is becoming a storefront and most brands are absent
OpenAI added in-chat checkout to ChatGPT, but an analysis of 190,000 results found most restaurants absent from it, versus a small fraction on Google.
Astghik NikoghosyanEU Accessibility Act enforcement reaches major retailers
French courts are enforcing the European Accessibility Act against major retailers, ordering Carrefour France to fix its site and app or face daily fines.
Marcus OlssonGoogle Posts adds scheduling and multi-location publishing
Google Business Profile can now schedule posts and copy a single update across up to 20 locations at once. Here is what the cap means for enterprise estates.
Malin Dotevall BanksApple Maps ads open this summer in the US and Canada
Apple's first ads in Maps are scheduled for summer 2026 in the US and Canada, with paid search placements and a new Suggested Places section.
Malin Dotevall BanksGoogle doubles review restrictions for repeat violations
Google is extending Business Profile review restrictions for repeat fake-engagement violations, doubling the review block from one month to two.
Björn HandellGoogle investigates missing reviews on Business Profiles
Businesses report thousands of Google reviews vanishing overnight while new reviews are paused. Google says it will restore reviews removed in error.
Daniel MelkerssonStudy: AI shifts search demand, non-branded hit hardest
New Fractl and Search Engine Land research on 1 million keywords finds 29% of high-volume search demand in decline, with non-branded queries most exposed.
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