A quieter week than the last one, but a couple of genuinely useful changes — especially if you rely on Google Maps or your Google Business Profile for enquiries. Here’s the plain-English version.
1. Search Console now shows how often you appear in Google’s AI answers — for everyone
Google has finished rolling out its generative AI performance report in Search Console to all websites worldwide (completed 31 August 2026). You can now see impressions from AI Overviews, AI Mode and AI features in Discover, broken down by page, country, device and date. Alongside it is a new toggle that lets you block your content from appearing in those AI features — and Google says using it won’t affect your normal rankings. (Search Engine Roundtable, 1 Sep 2026)
What this means for you: Log in and have a look — this is the first real data on your AI visibility. One catch: it reports impressions only, not clicks. We’d leave the opt-out toggle alone for now; being visible in AI answers still beats being invisible.
2. Google’s AI Mode is now running on Gemini 3.8 Flash
Just weeks after moving to 3.7, Google upgraded AI Mode to Gemini 3.8 Flash on 2 September, initially for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers worldwide. (Search Engine Land, 2 Sep 2026)
What this means for you: Nothing to action, but expect AI answers to get sharper and more confident — and to keep more clicks on Google. Worth checking what AI Mode currently says about your business and your main services.
3. New way to verify your Google Business Profile: submit a photo
Google appears to be adding a fifth verification method — “Submit a business photo” — alongside phone/text, email, live video and postcard. Early reports say the photo needs to show your business name on a permanent fixture (like signage) and your whole storefront in one frame. Google hasn’t documented it yet, so it may still be a test. (Search Engine Roundtable, 4 Sep 2026)
What this means for you: If you’ve been stuck in verification limbo, keep an eye out for this option — it’s far quicker than waiting on a postcard. Service-area businesses without signage may still need the video option.
4. Local rankings are holding, but calls and clicks keep sliding
New analysis shows local rankings largely stable while customer behaviour shifts: website clicks down 12.5% and calls down 11.9% year on year, while direction requests are up 21.1%. AI-powered local packs often show just two businesses instead of three, sometimes without a click-to-call button. (Search Engine Land, 31 Aug 2026)
What this means for you: Don’t panic if clicks are down while your rankings look fine — more of the journey is happening inside Google Maps now. Your profile quality, photos, services list and reviews are doing more of the selling than your website. (The data is US-based, but AU trends usually follow.)
5. Old outbound links to dodgy sites won’t get you penalised
Asked whether a site would be penalised for old outbound links to a website that has since changed hands and now hosts shady content, Google’s John Mueller answered simply: no — “the web is full of turmoil”. (Search Engine Roundtable, 31 Aug 2026)
What this means for you: No need to audit every link you’ve ever published. Still worth fixing broken or hijacked links when you spot them — that’s about your visitors’ experience, not rankings.
The short version
Check your new AI visibility data in Search Console, keep your Google Business Profile packed with photos, services and fresh reviews, and don’t lose sleep over old links. The traffic isn’t disappearing — it’s moving into Maps and AI answers, so the quality of your Google listing matters more than ever.
