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
Fake Google Maps listings hijack real business addresses
A London investigation found drug dealers posing as pharmacies on Google Maps at real business addresses. What listing fraud means for multi-location brands.
Daniel MelkerssonCMA opens Google's search choice screen to AI assistants
The UK's CMA wants Google to show a search choice screen on Android and Chrome, re-prompt users every year, and let AI assistants join the search options.
Marcus OlssonGoogle Business Profile API access hit by approval delays
Google says a surge in applications has stretched approval times for Business Profile API access, and it cannot give a timeframe for pending requests.
Marcus OlssonGoogle Merchant Center API now manages product reviews
Google's Merchant API now lets retailers submit and manage product reviews programmatically, moving review data out of manual feeds into governed automation.
Björn HandellGoogle removes free product listings from EEA search
Google removed free product listings from EEA search results under the DMA. Those slots now run through a comparison shopping service or paid Shopping ads.
Malin Dotevall BanksGoogle 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 NikoghosyanReady to boost your local visibility?
See how PinMeTo helps multi-location brands manage listings, reviews, and local SEO at scale.
Book a Demo