What matters now, short and dated

Short notes on things that matter today and will be history in four weeks: a security vulnerability, a change at Google, a shift in AI search. Every note states where it stands, so you can see what it refers to.

The longer explanations stay in the knowledge section, the click-by-click steps in the guides.

19 Oct 2026 · Business Profile

Google Business Profile: what has changed since September

Phone numbers in posts are allowed if Google can verify them, and dishes get four new attributes. Plus two observations on an AI summary and on reviews, and the four-day window for suggested edits.

19 Oct 2026 · AI search

Google in October: official links in AI answers, AI-written text checked by hand

Google is testing a section for official links at the top of AI answers and expects a person to check AI-written text before publishing. The September spam update is complete.

19 Oct 2026 · AI search

Bing now sorts AI citations by topic, Copilot asks you to sign in

A new tab in Bing Webmaster Tools shows which topics a website is cited for, often not at all for small sites. Copilot now needs an account, while Copilot Search in Bing still works without one.

12 Oct 2026 · AI search

ChatGPT now answers with GPT-6, free plan included

Since 8 October ChatGPT runs on a new model for Free and Go as well, one that according to OpenAI is better at deciding when to search the web. If you track your visibility, you now need a fresh measurement as a new baseline.

02 Oct 2026 · Visibility

Google's supplier unit now covers local businesses

Since 18 September the supplier unit also covers local search queries. On 2 October it held ten roofers in Lüneburg, each with their own address on the web. No application and no extra schema required.

28 Sep 2026 · AI search

ChatGPT now shows ads, in Germany too

Ads sit below the answer, labelled and separated, for accounts on the Free and Go plans. By OpenAI's account they have no bearing on the answer itself. Across 38 of our own queries, none has turned up yet.

24 Sep 2026 · Measurement

Search Console now shows whether you appear in Google's AI answers

Since 31 August every website has a dedicated report for the AI features of Google Search. It shows impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode. It does not show clicks, and that is the difference between two questions.

24 Sep 2026 · Security

Critical WordPress vulnerability: what to check today

On 22 September WordPress closed a vulnerability rated critical, and on 6 October seven more with 7.1.3. Every install below the current release of its own branch is affected. Here is how to see in a minute which one you run.