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.
September 2026
Google moves full-web search behind a partner-only API
Google documented a partner-only Web Search Service API for programmatic Google results as the Custom Search JSON API closes ahead of a January 2027 cutoff.
Marcus OlssonGoogle Business Profiles get Post view counts, no API yet
Google Business Profile posts now show per-post view counts across Search and Maps, but the figures are not yet available through the Performance API.
Marcus OlssonGoogle overhauls EEA search results to comply with DMA
Google is rolling out a redesigned EEA search layout to comply with the Digital Markets Act, adding aggregator units and warning of its biggest quality drop.
Marcus OlssonPinMeTo acquires BrandWizard's customer business
PinMeTo has acquired BrandWizard's customer business. More than 100 multi-location brands across MENA, LATAM and Europe will move onto the PinMeTo platform.
Daniel MelkerssonApple: blocking Applebot-Extended won't hurt your ranking
Apple confirms that blocking Applebot-Extended, its AI-training opt-out, does not affect Search ranking or indexing. What that means for brands at scale.
Daniel MelkerssonEU accessibility standard EN 301 549 moves to WCAG 2.2
ETSI has published EN 301 549 V4.1.1, aligning the EU accessibility standard with WCAG 2.2. What the six new criteria mean for location pages at scale.
Björn HandellAI Mode dropped citations after the Gemini 3.8 Flash update
Google's new AI Mode model, Gemini 3.8 Flash, stopped showing source citations on some broad top-of-the-funnel queries. Google called it a bug and rolled out a fix. What brands should do.
Astghik NikoghosyanProgrammatic SEO can cost a whole site Google's trust
Google's John Mueller warns that low-value programmatic pages can make Google lose faith in an entire site. What that means for location pages at scale.
Astghik NikoghosyanGoogle auto-expands AI Overviews, burying organic links
Google now automatically expands AI Overviews to full length for some queries, pushing organic search results and brand location links further down the page.
Astghik NikoghosyanGoogle eases EEA site reputation rules amid DMA scrutiny
Google will stop applying site reputation demotions for searchers in the EEA from 30 August, after European Commission talks under the Digital Markets Act.
Marcus OlssonAugust 2026
Reinstated Google Business Profiles can lose reviews
Google's Help docs now confirm reviews can vanish when a suspended Business Profile is reinstated. What multi-location teams should check across the estate.
Björn HandellGoogle Local Services Ads move to Google Ads from 2026
Google is folding Local Services Ads into Google Ads as Performance Max pay-per-lead campaigns from August 2026, changing how calls are billed and reported.
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