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Restaurants can now turn off delivery apps on Google
Restaurants can now remove Uber Eats, DoorDash and other ordering links from their Google Business Profile. Here is where to do it.
Google is adding Messenger links to some business profiles
Google is adding Facebook Messenger chat links to some Business Profiles on its own. Check where yours goes and who reads that inbox.
Google is moving Local Services ads. Save your reports first.
Google is moving Local Services ads into Google Ads. Old performance reports will not come over, so save them before your move date.
Google's AI answer now shows up when people search your name
SE Ranking found AI Overviews on 82.5% of 1,000 US brand searches. 61% of the cited links came from places the brand runs or can post on.
Google Business Home: who gets the invite
Google is testing Business Home, one place for your Business Profile, Ads, YouTube and Merchant Center. The invite goes to an owner or manager.
PHP's emergency patch: what to ask your web host
PHP fixed two critical flaws on October 21, 2026. Ask your host if your site is patched, and ask for a 503 page if it has to go offline.
A website check should say what it could not read
When a tool can't read part of your site, the honest result is couldn't check. Calling it a fail, or folding it into one score, mixes findings with guesses.
Google rankings are shaky, and no update is confirmed
Google rankings swung on October 20 and 21, 2026, and Google has not confirmed an update. A big core update is still expected soon.
Google is testing ID photos to verify business profiles
Google is testing a new way to verify a Business Profile with a photo of your government ID. Google's help page does not list it yet.
Google is testing Google Posts higher on the business panel
Google seems to be testing Google Posts higher on the local business panel. They moved up for 3 days, then down for 3. Google has not said a word.
Google is testing official sites at the top of AI answers
Google is testing a top box in some AI Mode and AI Overviews answers for one or two official sites that finish a task. Criteria were not given.
Google says URL keywords barely help you rank
Gary Illyes called keywords in a URL or domain an incredibly small signal. Use hyphens in paths, skip URL spam, and put the work into the page.
ChatGPT traffic now shows up as direct
ChatGPT links dropped their UTM tag and referrer after GPT-6. Those clicks show as Direct. Check Direct before you decide AI stopped sending people.
Google Business Profile menus now tag gluten-free dishes
Google Business Profile menus can now mark a dish gluten-free, dairy-free, halal or kosher. Tag a dish when your kitchen can back it up every time.
Search Console performance data ran over 64 hours behind
Google Search Console's performance report ran more than 64 hours behind this weekend. A late chart is not a ranking drop, so wait before rewriting pages.
Google local panels are showing a WhatsApp button
Google Search local panels are showing a WhatsApp button on some listings. Claimed profiles can add WhatsApp under Contact, Chat, in select regions.
Google Local Services ads can charge for missed calls
A missed call or voicemail during your profile hours can now be a paid Local Services ads lead. It counts once the caller stays past 20 seconds.
Google Maps says deals go in posts, not the listing
Google's Maps policy now keeps time-bound promos, prices, and direct calls to action out of the listing for merchants. Offers can still go in posts.
Google now calls fake author bios deception
Google's helpful content guide now says AI headshots, made-up author names, and false credentials are deception and a sign of a low-quality page.
Google says scaled, low-effort pages are the spam risk
Google said it runs more spam updates and uses AI to catch more spam. Scaled, low-effort content is the risk, per a Search Central Live recap.
Google wrote a misuse rule for Business Profile support
Google added a Misuse of support channels rule to Business Profile policy. Bad tickets can close the door on later complaints.
Google Maps put some service-area pins in the ocean
Some Google Maps pins for service-area businesses land in the ocean. Service shade can look right while the public pin is wrong.
Google Maps put reviews behind a login
Google Maps now requires sign-in to read full Business Profile reviews, sort them, or leave one. Check what strangers see signed out.
Your Google listing has a four-day clock
When Google asks you to review a suggested edit on your Business Profile, you have four days. Miss that window and the listing can change without you.
One recurring task is enough to start
Pick one repeatable burden, write how it runs with a person on the checks that matter, and clock a first supervised pass. That beats a vague hire-or-automate wish.
One rank check is not the market
Yext’s Places Scout set found mobile organic results varied 48.7% more across nearby pins after mid-May 2026. One desk ranking is a weaker market description than before.
AI local packs name fewer businesses
Google AI local packs often list one or two names, not three. Sterling Sky’s Places Scout count shows how much narrower that list is.