Earlier this month, the Google May 2026 core update was completed on June 2, 2026. But the volatility has not seemed to calm down.

Google not only updated its advice on hiring an SEO document, but also created a new one named Google Search’s guidance on using third-party SEO tools, services, and advice. This document drills into how to evaluate the advice you get from these sources and some tips to think critically about such SEO advice.

Google has updated its help document titled Do you need an SEO? Google said the changes are to help when “evaluating your SEO’s recommendations and tools, along with other minor updates to the page to simplify and modernize the content.” But the document also added a section for Optimizing for generative AI and making sure your SEO follows Google’s guidelines around that topic.

Google launched Search Profiles late last week, a way for creators and publishers to have a place on Google to highlight its content and platforms. And Google seems to be testing a new Insights section for Search profiles, where you can see how searchers are interacting with your Search profiles on Google.

Microsoft Bing announced a new way to disable the Copilot, Microsoft AI, responses from showing up in the Bing search results. There is a new browser extension available for Chrome and Edge that you can install to toggle off showing AI responses, or you can just add -ai to the end of your query.

Google has confirmed that the search company has no plans on making AI Mode the default search experience within Google Chrome.

Six months of Google product releases compose into one agentic-web stack.

This summer’s SEO reading list isn’t about stepping back. It’s about keeping up with a restructuring of search that’s already underway. The post What SEOs Should Read Before Labor Day, 5 Books For A Transformative Summer appeared first on Search Engine Journal .

Google positions itself as the benchmark for SEO and AEO/GEO advice and questions third-party SEO tools, data and services. The post Google’s New Guidance Claims Authority Over SEO, Tools, And AEO/GEO appeared first on Search Engine Journal .

Google is beginning to let websites opt out of AI search, but the click data needed to make that decision isn’t available yet.