Web Design and Development San Diego

The new playbook for localized AI search optimization

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The new playbook for localized AI search optimization

AI has become part of nearly every industry, integrated into apps, company processes, and everyday life. As someone who’s been doing local SEO since it became a thing, I’m seeing a major shift in how people search and the answers they get. 

In the good old days, the average local business could rank well by optimizing its website, optimizing its Google Business Profile, building about 50 citations, and asking for reviews. In an AI search world, those activities are table stakes.

To perform well in AI-powered local search, you also need to shape what the broader web says about your business, or, in other words, how well-known your brand is.

Think of local search as a digital “word-of-mouth” system.

  • What are people saying about your brand?
  • Are you mentioned in publications, blogs, or industry sites?
  • Do people talk about you on social media?
  • What sentiment exists around your business beyond your website and GBP?

These are the questions AI systems ask when users request local business recommendations. Here’s how to shape the reputation signals AI search engines rely on.

How to do competitor research for AI visibility

One of the first steps in an AI search strategy is identifying which brands LLMs recommend most often and finding out what they’re doing.

Identify which businesses get mentioned most in AI responses

AI responses change constantly, so you need to run the same query multiple times to study patterns.

Run your most common brand searches at least 20 times in your preferred LLM. You can do this manually or use software like Gumshoe or Waikay. These tools run synthetic prompts based on your business details and show how often you appear.

Brand visibility and competitive leaderboard

Identify the sites that AI most often cites

After identifying your competitors, look at the sources LLMs use. You can dig through the results manually or use one of the tools mentioned above.

Get your brand mentioned on those sites

Once you have that list of sites, try to get your brand mentioned on them.

If AI systems cite blogs, offer to contribute expert content. If they mention podcasts or YouTube channels, ask to be a guest. The goal is to amplify your brand.

Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up.

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How to build reviews for AI

Since Google has been the primary discovery channel for the past decade, most businesses have focused only on getting reviews on Google. To perform well in AI results, you also need reviews on other sites.

Diversify your review strategy

Ask for reviews on a wide range of sites: Yelp, BBB, Facebook, and other review sites prominent in your industry. Frequent reviews across diverse platforms increase your brand’s visibility and can also help rankings in traditional search results.

Optimize the way you ask for reviews

Don’t ask for generic reviews. Give customers direction. Guide them toward experiences or product qualities AI searchers may ask about.

For example, if you have a plumbing company, your review request might sound like this:

Hi [Name],

Thank you for trusting us with your hot water tank repair. If you have a moment, could you please leave us a review on [Link to Platform] and tell us how we did? Some things you could mention in your reviews:

— What plumbing issue did we help you with?
— Are you happy with the quality of our service?
— Did your plumber arrive on time and have a professional attitude?
— Do you think the cost matches the quality of the service?

Your review is a big help to us and to others looking for a quality plumber.

Thank you!
[Name]

AI systems directly cite review content, so you want to make sure you’re getting detailed reviews.

Respond to all reviews

If you aren’t responding to reviews, start now. AI systems read and consider the content in review responses.

Be everywhere

AI systems often scour the web for even obscure mentions of your business and use them to build responses. Your business should be present and active across platforms, including:

  • YouTube.
  • Reddit.
  • Industry forums.
  • Social media, especially LinkedIn.
  • Industry publications.
  • Local and hyperlocal blogs.
  • Local news sites.
  • Local and industry podcasts and video channels.
  • Best-of lists in your city or industry.
  • Press releases.

Be active on the platforms your peers and customers use. A tool like Sparktoro can show where your audience is active so you can focus your efforts there.

audience research

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.

See terms.

How to write content that AI models love

You’re no longer writing only for humans. You’re also writing for machines, so your content structure has to change.

Dan Petrovic researched Google’s “grounding snippets,” or the sentences it selects from your page to build answers.

One of Petrovic’s key takeaways is that Google prefers sentences that are semantically close to the query and early on the page.

Get straight to the point

While humans might appreciate a well-written introduction that provides context, LLMs scan pages for answers to specific questions.

Because AI systems often scan content higher up on the page, present your key points in the first paragraph. Then make sure the rest of the page supports them.

Understand what questions to answer

This goes back to keyword research and query fan-out. Identify what people type into the search bar, or AI bar, to find businesses like yours. Your website needs to become an answer engine for those prompts.

For local businesses, these are the must-answer questions:

  • What do you do?
    • What products or services do you offer?
    • Who are your products or services for?
    • What problems do you solve?
  • Where are you located?
    • What neighborhoods or cities do you serve?
    • Do you offer on-site services, or do customers need to visit your location?
  • What are your business hours?
    • Do you offer emergency or same-day services?
    • Do you work weekends or holidays?
  • How can customers contact you?
    • What’s the booking process?
    • Do you offer quotes or consultations?
    • Is your business appointment-only, or do you accept walk-ins?
  • Why should someone choose your business?
    • What sets you apart from competitors?
    • Do you have awards or certifications?
    • Are you best known for a specific product or service?
  • How much do your products or services cost?
    • Do you offer discounts or packages?
  • What do customers say about you?
    • Can you display reviews and testimonials?
    • Can you show case studies or before-and-after examples?
  • What are the answers to your most frequently asked questions?
  • How do you demonstrate authority and expertise?
    • What does your work process look like?
    • Do you educate people in your field through tips, guides, or blog articles?

AlsoAsked is a great tool for expanding this question-generation process.

content research

Once you answer these questions, you can use a free tool like Qforia to do query fan-out and generate additional questions AI systems may ask in relation to users’ initial searches.

Answer these questions on your website. Then make sure your answers stay consistent across brand mentions on the web, including citations, guest articles, and press releases.

Structure your content in a machine-friendly way

Most local businesses describe their services like this: “Services we provide: plumbing, drain cleaning, pipe replacement, etc.”

You should do a better job of helping machines understand your business in a clear and concise way by using semantic triples.

A semantic triple consists of:

  • [Subject] + [predicate] + [object]

The subject is what you’re defining. The predicate describes the subject’s relationship to the object. The object is what defines the subject.

For example:

  • [Rescue Plumbing] [is] [a plumbing company in Denver].
  • [Rescue Plumbing] [provides] [drain cleaning services].

Drop the “we” and replace it with your brand name. Machines still need clear signals, so you need to explain what your business is and what it does as clearly as possible.

Have something new to say

Information gain is essential for AI search. Your content shouldn’t reiterate existing information. It should contribute something new.

LLMs want content that enriches their knowledge about your brand, your industry, and your location.

Draw on your personal and professional experience. Answer questions that haven’t been addressed in your industry. Describe on-the-job experiences only you can speak to. This is your opportunity to surface for AI searches your competitors don’t appear in.

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Your AI visibility to-do list

AI visibility depends on more than your website and Google Business Profile. Use this checklist to strengthen the reviews, citations, content, and brand signals AI systems rely on.

  • Shift your local SEO strategy. Optimize and maintain your website and Google Business Profile while cultivating broader brand visibility across the web.
  • Identify your competitors and study their content and citation strategies.
  • Identify the sources LLMs cite in relation to your industry and location, and get your brand mentioned in them.
  • Diversify the sites where you collect reviews, optimize your review requests, and respond to all reviews.
  • Build your presence across blogs, social media, forums, YouTube channels, podcasts, and the press.
  • Write unique, informative, and comprehensive content on your website, citations, and brand mentions across the web. Structure key information using semantic triples.

There’s much more I could write about optimizing for localized AI search, but I’ve probably already exhausted your attention span, so stay tuned for the next article.

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Web Design and Development San Diego

5 early signs of PPC performance drops: Track competitors to spot them by Bluepear

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Google Ads reports and PPC competitor analysis can show declining performance, but not what caused it. In fast-evolving paid search, reacting to performance drops after they happen isn’t enough. You need to identify the signals behind those changes before they impact results.

A competitor might increase bids on your core keywords. A new advertiser could enter branded search. Someone may launch a stronger offer or dominate the SERP with extensions and Shopping ads. These shifts change auction dynamics in real time, often days or weeks before the impact appears in your dashboards.

That’s why we recommend monitoring competitor activity. It gives you context for performance shifts before they turn into expensive problems.

Without consistent competitor tracking, three areas usually start to decline:

  • Cost per click: CPC can rise because of increased auction pressure. But when you don’t actively track competitor keywords, aggressive bidding activity stays invisible until costs are already higher. 
  • Ad positions and visibility: If competitors increase impression share, expand campaign coverage, or appear more frequently during peak hours, your visibility starts slipping. 
  • Conversion rate and revenue: Competitors may introduce stronger discounts, clearer positioning, or more compelling CTAs. If you don’t regularly track competitors’ ads, your campaigns can slowly lose relevance even while traffic volume stays stable.

Monitoring competitor activity and analyzing that data helps prevent this decline. It connects changes in market behavior to performance shifts, so you can act before KPIs start falling.

5 competitor signals you should never ignore

Behind every spike in CPC or drop in conversions is usually a competitor move. These are competitor signals — observable changes in how other advertisers behave in paid search. 

Competitor signals could be a new player entering your core queries, a sudden increase in bids, a messaging shift, or more aggressive use of ad formats. Individually, these signals may seem minor. Together, they reshape the dynamics of the entire SERP.

Let’s start with a quick overview of the five competitor signals that serve as early signs of upcoming auction shifts and PPC performance:

Signal What it affects What to do
Competitor activity spike CPC, impression share Track competitors keywords and review bidding strategy 
New players in branded SERP Brand traffic, CAC Monitor competitor activity and protect brand terms
Messaging changes CTR, conversion rate Track competitors’ ads and test new offers
Increased ad frequency Visibility, ROI Use competitor tracking tools to detect pressure early
SERP takeover (extensions, shopping) Click share, attention Run deeper PPC competitor analysis and expand ad formats

Here’s a closer look at these early signals and what you can do when you detect them.

1. Sudden increase in competitor activity on priority keywords

A sudden spike in activity usually signals more aggressive bidding. Competitors are pushing harder on your core queries, increasing pressure in the same auctions where your campaigns compete. Without active competitor keyword tracking, these shifts happen quietly — until costs start rising.

The risks you face if you miss this signal are: 

  • Rising CPC  
  • Loss of top positions
  • Declining impression share on high-value queries

What you can do upon noticing a sharp rise of competitor activity:

  • Identify who is driving the auction pressure — new entrants often signal a longer-term competitive shift  
  • Review your bidding strategy and adjust bids on priority keywords 

2. New players appearing in branded search results

When new advertisers appear on your branded queries, it usually means someone is deliberately targeting your brand to capture high-intent traffic. That may include direct competitors, affiliates, or partners operating outside agreed boundaries.

The risks associated with brand bidding are:

  • Loss of branded traffic you previously owned.
  • Increased customer acquisition cost on what should be your lowest-cost channel.
  • Erosion of brand trust if messaging is misaligned.

What to do: 

  • Find out who is running ads on your brand terms using competitor tracking tools.
  • Capture screenshots, landing pages, timing, location, device and redirect paths before taking action. 
  • Analyze affiliate and partner activity for compliance issues.
  • Reinforce your branded campaigns to maintain dominance.

See which competitors and affiliates are appearing on your brand keywords. Register with Bluepear to run free branded search checks for a week — no credit card required. 

3. Changes in competitor messaging 

Messaging shifts are often the earliest sign of strategic testing. Competitors launch new offers, reposition their value, or test urgency and pricing. Without consistent competitor ad tracking, these changes stay outside your field of view.

Risks that come from changes in competitor messaging:

  • Declining CTR as your ads feel less relevant or appealing in comparison.
  • Lower conversion rates due to weaker perceived value.
  • Gradual erosion of your competitive positioning.

How to respond: 

  • Regularly track competitors’ ads across key queries.
  • Benchmark their offers against your current value proposition.
  • Launch focused A/B tests in response.
  • Adapt your messaging fast — delays here impact revenue.

4. Competitor ads appearing more frequently

Higher ad frequency usually signals a larger budget or a more aggressive delivery strategy. Competitors are appearing in more auctions, more often, and across more times of day.

Risks associated with this: 

  • Reduced visibility and share of voice.
  • Increased CPC due to higher auction pressure.
  • Lower ROI as efficiency declines.

What you can do about it: 

  • Review auction insights to confirm impression share shifts.
  • Adjust ad scheduling to defend key time windows.
  • Reallocate budget toward the most competitive segments.
  • Continue monitoring competitor activity to understand whether this is temporary or sustained pressure.

5. Competitors dominating the SERP with extensions and formats

Competitors can use sitelinks, callouts, Shopping ads, and Performance Max campaigns to take up more SERP space. Even when your ad appears, it becomes visually secondary.

What risk this expansion creates for you:

  • Reduced user attention on your ads.
  • Lower CTR.
  • Traffic loss.

What can be done about it: 

  • Expand your own ads with extensions.
  • Actively use multiple formats to increase coverage.
  • Continuously track competitors’ ads to see how SERP real estate is changing.

How to turn competitor signals into action

Many PPC teams track competitors but still operate reactively. They notice rising CPCs, falling CTRs, or weaker conversions only after those changes appear in performance metrics. By then, optimization has become damage control.

The more effective approach is to treat competitor signals as action triggers. To do that, you need a clear workflow:

  • Define the competitor signals that matter to you and grade them by priority. For example, brand bidding can be a lower priority for a small company, but a major red flag for a larger brand that runs their own affiliate program.
  • Connect each signal to a predefined response. For simplicity, you can do it in the form of a table like this: 
Signal Priority Response
Sudden bidding increases on high-intent keywords High Review bids on core keywords
New advertisers entering branded queries High Investigate affiliate activity and strengthen branded campaigns
SERP expansion through extensions and Shopping ads Medium-High Expand your own ad formats and improve SERP coverage
Changes in competitor messaging or offers Medium Launch ad copy and offer tests to maintain CTR and conversion rate
Rising impression share from specific competitors Medium Adjust budget allocation if pressure continues
Minor ad copy variations without positioning changes Low Monitor for patterns, but avoid overreacting to isolated tests
Temporary appearance fluctuations outside core markets Low Track activity, but prioritize response only if expansion continues
  • Assign the team members responsible for tracking and reacting to the detected signals. Base this choice on the responses you defined earlier — whoever has direct access to the appropriate tools should be responsible for execution. 
  • Establish a practical framework built on repeatable actions: Track competitors → Detect → Verify → Classify → Act. 

The goal is to build a system where competitor changes automatically trigger investigation and appropriate response. In practice, thу most effective way of doing it is to use always-on PPС tracking tools with real-time reporting. The advantage comes from shortening reaction time. 

In conclusion

Competitor pressure in PPC rarely appears all at once. It builds through signals.

A sudden increase in bidding activity. New advertisers entering branded search. Changes in messaging. Higher ad frequency. Competitors taking over more SERP space with extensions and Shopping ads. These shifts change the auction environment long before performance reports fully reflect the impact.

That’s why teams that consistently track competitor keywords, monitor SERP behavior, and use structured PPC competitor analysis gain something valuable: time. They spot changes earlier, react faster, and avoid making decisions only after KPIs begin to decline.

The difference between reactive and high-performing PPC teams is simple. One waits for metrics to explain what happened. The other uses competitor signals to anticipate what happens next.

Build a more systematic approach to monitoring competitor activity. Use competitor tracking tools to collect data before it impacts CPC, visibility, and conversions — not after.

Try Bluepear to see how competitors and affiliates appear across your most important keywords in real time. 

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Security patch: Yoast SEO Premium 27.6.1

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Yoast SEO Premium 27.6.1 is out now. This release contains a security fix affecting the Redirect Manager in Yoast SEO Premium. The good news: the vast majority of users are not impacted. If you’re a customer of Yoast SEO Premium, Yoast WooCommerce SEO, or Yoast SEO AI+, please read on. 

Are you affected? 

The vast majority of customers are not impacted. Your site is only potentially at risk if all three of the following are true: 

  • You are using a plan that includes the Yoast SEO Premium plugin. This includes Yoast SEO Premium, Yoast WooCommerce SEO, and Yoast SEO AI+ 
  • Your server runs Apache and you have manually changed your redirect method to write to .htaccess. If you’re using the default PHP-based redirects, you are not affected 
  • A user who has access to your site with edit_posts capability. Without this, the vulnerability cannot be exploited even if the other conditions are met 

What was the issue? 

An authenticated user could inject unexpected configuration into a site’s .htaccess file by including special characters in a redirect. Depending on what was injected, this could range from a site crash to, in the most serious cases, remote code execution.  

We have reviewed a sample of sites using the affected configuration and found no evidence of exploitation. There are no known cases of abuse. 

What’s fixed 

The patch includes three layers of protection: 

  • Input sanitization: control characters are now stripped from redirect fields before they’re saved 
  • Removed unused code: the specific endpoint involved in the vulnerability has been removed, as it was no longer used by the plugin anyway 
  • In-plugin warning: we’ve added a proactive notification that will alert you if anything unusual is detected in your redirects or .htaccess file, so you can review and act quickly without the need to go looking for it 

What you should do 

Please update to 27.6.1 from the WordPress plugins screen, your Admin can do this in under two minutes. 

If you meet all three conditions above, we recommend updating as soon as possible. Should you not, the security fix doesn’t apply to your setup, but keeping your plugins current is always good practice, and 27.6.1 is the version we recommend for everyone. 

If you’re unsure whether you’re affected, check your redirect settings directly at [www.yoursite.com]/wp-admin/admin.php?page=wpseo_redirects#/redirect-method,  if you don’t see .htaccess mode enabled, you’re not at risk. 

Security method in app UI

A full security advisory will be published soon. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, our support team is here to help you. 

Thank you for your continued trust in Yoast. 

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The May 2026 SEO Update by Yoast recap

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Each month, we host an SEO update covering the latest in search and AI. In this edition, Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss discussed Google’s latest AI-driven changes, the impact of AI on content creation, and why simply publishing more content is no longer enough, and could even backfire. Read this recap for the highlights or watch the full May 2026 SEO Update by Yoast to dive deeper.

Watch the full recap on YouTube to dive deeper into these topics, hear some examples and hear the answer to audience questions.

Google’s preferred sources are a boost for publishers

Google released a guide to preferred sources in Google Search for web publishers, allowing users to signal their preference for specific news outlets. This is particularly useful for publishers reliant on ad revenue, as it helps drive more impressions from loyal readers.

Why it matters: If your business model depends on ad revenue from search traffic, this feature can help stabilize or even increase impressions.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Publishers should implement the preferred sources feature to maximize visibility.
  • Non-publishers, such as eCommerce sites, may not need this, but users can still set preferences for trusted sources.

UCP (Universal Checkout Protocol) expands for AI agents

Google is pushing UCP (Universal Checkout Protocol), an open standard allowing AI agents to complete purchases on behalf of users. Shopify has already integrated UCP, enabling seamless transactions directly from search results.

Why it matters: AI-driven purchases are becoming more common, and eCommerce sites need to ensure compatibility with UCP to avoid losing conversions.

Actionable takeaway:

  • If you run an eCommerce site, check if your platform supports UCP. Shopify does; WordPress/WooCommerce may need plugins.
  • Ensure product feeds are accurate to prevent issues like incorrect pricing in bundles.

Search indexing vs. grounding indexing: What’s the difference?

Bing clarified the distinction between traditional search indexing (for human users) and grounding indexing (for AI agents). Grounding indexing occurs at inference time, meaning AI models scrape and process visible text without interacting with JavaScript or hidden elements.

Why it matters: Content hidden in accordions, tabs, or behind clicks may not be seen by AI agents, even if it’s indexed by search engines.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Prioritize visible, structured content for grounding indexing.
  • Avoid relying solely on schema markup, as AI agents primarily read on-page text.

Google drops FAQ rich results (again)

Google has stopped supporting FAQ rich results in search, though they may still appear for certain sites, like medical or government pages. This doesn’t mean the FAQ schema is useless; it may still help with AI responses or future search features.

Why it matters: If you relied on FAQ rich snippets for visibility, you’ll need to adjust your strategy.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Keep FAQ schema in place, as it may still be used elsewhere.
  • Ensure FAQ content is visible on the page, so don’t hide it in accordions or tabs.

The decline of the “Ultimate guide” and commodity content

Rand Fishkin’s research highlights that long-form “ultimate guides” and low-value listicles are losing effectiveness as AI models synthesize answers directly. Google and AI systems favor authoritative, structured, and differentiated content.

Why it matters: Publishing generic, high-volume content is no longer a viable SEO strategy.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Break long guides into bite-sized, structured chapters for better AI consumption.
  • Focus on unique insights, original research, and expert perspectives to stand out.

Gemini Intelligence expands on Android

Google is integrating Gemini Intelligence into Android, enabling proactive AI features such as booking appointments and making purchases directly from search results. This shift moves users away from traditional websites, impacting traffic and ad revenue.

Why it matters: Publishers and businesses must adapt to AI-driven discovery rather than relying solely on website visits.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Optimize for AI-powered interactions by using structured data and clear calls to action.
  • Explore alternative monetization options, such as subscriptions, YouTube, or podcasts.

Google’s AI optimization guide: What you need to know

Google released a guide on optimizing for generative AI features, advising against:

  • Creating markdown versions of pages.
  • Building AI reference pages, such as llms.txt, or agents.md.
  • Publishing duplicate or low-value content for AI consumption.

Why it matters: Google wants to reduce spam and inefficiency in AI-driven search, but these guidelines are specific to Google. Other AI models, such as Perplexity and Claude, may still benefit from structured data.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Follow Google’s recommendations for Google, but don’t ignore other AI platforms.
  • Focus on high-quality, structured content that works for both search engines and AI agents.

Conde Nast CEO: Assume ad revenue from search traffic is gone

Conde Nast (publisher of Vogue, The New Yorker, etc.) is telling stakeholders to assume programmatic ad revenue from search traffic will decline. This reflects a broader shift in how publishers monetize content.

Why it matters: Publishers must diversify revenue streams beyond programmatic ads.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Explore subscriptions, memberships, and sponsorships.
  • Repurpose content for YouTube, podcasts, and newsletters to offset traffic losses.

Google I/O 2026: AI agents, personalization, and unified commerce

Key takeaways from Google I/O 2026:

  • Search is no longer the primary focus. Google is positioning itself as an AI agent manager.
  • Gemini Intelligence is expanding across devices (phones, watches, laptops).
  • Unified Wallet integrates UCP for seamless AI-driven purchases.
  • Agents and Sparks enable AI-powered research and personalization.

Why it matters: Google is shifting from a search engine to an AI-driven ecosystem, impacting how users discover and interact with content.

Actionable takeaway:

  • Optimize for AI agents (structured data, clear answers, personalization).
  • Prepare for unified commerce (UCP, AI-driven transactions).

Yoast news

Yoast also shared some exciting news this month with the launch of the Yoast AI Content Planner, a new tool designed to help users overcome writer’s block and create structured, high-quality content effortlessly. The AI Content Planner transforms a blank page into a structured draft in seconds, offering topic suggestions, outline generation, and SEO optimization tips.

It’s a helpful tool for anyone struggling to start or organize their content, saving time and improving readability and SEO. If you’re a Yoast Premium user, you can enable this feature in your WordPress editor and start experimenting with AI-driven content creation.

Yoast AI Content planner feature example
The Yoast AI Content Planner is suggesting possible content to write

Sign up for the next SEO Update by Yoast

The next SEO Update by Yoast is on June 30, 2026, at 4:00 PM CET (10:00 AM EST). Sign up here to join live!

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The SEO Update by Yoast – June 2026

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The SEO Update by Yoast – June 2026



Will take place on



4 PM CEST / 10 AM EDT

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Carolyn Shelby

Principal SEO

Don’t miss the next SEO Update by Yoast

Big changes in search are happening fast – get the context you need to keep up.

The SEO Update by Yoast brings you the latest insights on algorithm updates, AI-driven search changes, and industry developments, all in one easy-to-follow session.

Join Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss as they discuss the stories shaping SEO today and share actionable takeaways you can apply right away.

    Who should sign up?

    This update is ideal if you:

    • Want expert insight into recent SEO changes and trends
    • Need help refining or validating your SEO strategy
    • Have SEO questions you’d like answered live

    Event details

    • Level: Intermediate
    • Duration: 1 hour
    • Live Q&A with our SEO experts
    • Free registration
    • Recording available after the session

    Don’t want to miss it?

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    First upcoming events

    SEO for beginners webinar
    27 May 2026

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    Support engineer

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    Support engineer

    SEO for beginners webinar

    Learn the essentials to start SEO confidently and boost your site’s visibility.

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    SEOFOMO x WhitePress Free Meetup in Boston
    June 02, 2026

    Who will be there:

    Carolyn

    • Speaking

    SEOFOMO x WhitePress Free Meetup in Boston

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    Yoast x WTS Global: SEO is built in community
    26 May 2026

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    Carolyn Shelby

    Principal SEO

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    WordPress 7.0 is out: the 7 highlights of this release

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    On May 20th, 2026, the next major release of WordPress came out: WordPress 7.0. While previous releases focused on improving the block editor, this release takes it to a new level. It pushes the platform into the next phase of its roadmap with smarter workflows and a more app-like experience. So, let’s dive into what’s new and what features are interesting for you.

    Table of contents

    A modern admin experience

    WordPress 7.0 introduces a refreshed admin interface. One thing that’s been changed is the new way to transition between pages in your backend. When navigating to another page, this now looks a lot smoother than before, thanks to the CSS View Transitions API. The new update also comes with a new addition to the menu bar at the top, called the Command Palette shortcut. When you click on this icon (or use the shortcut ⌘K or Ctrl+K), you get easy access to the command palette that allows you to navigate your backend or perform other actions from that bar.

    Command palette in adminbar WordPress 7.0
    The Command Palette in the menu at the top.

    Although it’s a seemingly small thing, another cool thing to mention is the new color palette. As you can see in the screenshot above, the default color scheme has changed. The palette previously known as ‘Modern’ is now the new default, better aligning the admin with the visual direction of the block and site editor. If you preferred the old look, don’t worry, it’s still available under your profile preferences, now listed as ‘Fresh’.

    Overall, these improvements and others give a fresh look and feel to the backend of your website. With the intent of making WordPress feel less like a traditional CMS and more like a modern web app.

    Revisions are now more visual

    Whenever you need to check or restore an earlier version of a page, the revisions in WordPress help you do so. These give you an idea of what has been changed on your page and when. Now, WordPress 7.0 makes this even easier with visual revisions instead of the raw text shown until now.

    Visual revisions in WordPress 7.0
    An example of the visual revisions in WordPress 7.0

    The revisions feature can be found in the same spot as before, and now, when you click it, it takes you to a preview of your page, where you can use the slider at the top to view earlier versions. The slider also shows you the date and time of the change. When looking at an earlier version of the page, additions are shown in green, changed sections in yellow, and deleted sections in red. Allowing you to locate the changes made right away.

    As before, this allows you to quickly restore previous versions of a page, find the source of layout issues and review updates. This visualization of the revisions makes it easier to do so, as you won’t have to dive into the text to figure out what changed. You’ll notice it right away when sliding between revisions.

    New blocks in the block editor

    As expected, the block editor has also gotten some new additions with the release of WordPress 7.0. For starters, the new Breadcrumbs block lets you add breadcrumbs to your pages, improving navigation on your site. When added, it automatically adds the correct breadcrumb path to the top of your page, but it also gives you options to customize it. The other new block in this release is the Icon block. This allows you to add icons to your pages from a directory of icons added to the backend.

    Directory of Icons for Icon block WordPress 7.0
    Current selection of icons you can use in the Icon block.

    There are also some improvements to existing blocks, such as the Grid Block and Cover block. The Grid block used to have an Auto/Manual toggle, but this has now been replaced by several options to help you set the responsiveness of the block and columns shown. The Cover Block now includes the option to use embedded videos as the background, so you can display videos from platforms like YouTube there. These new blocks and improvements continue to further reduce the need for plugins and custom work to achieve the desired design.

    Better responsive design controls

    Designing for mobile just got a little bit easier. This latest version of WordPress introduces viewport-based controls, allowing you to show or hide blocks depending on the user’s screen size. Simply go to the block, click ‘Show’ in the toolbar and select which devices should show the block (desktop, tablet, or mobile). This will automatically hide it on the devices that you don’t select. This allows you to fine-tune your design for different devices and build responsive designs without using custom CSS. A big win for anyone building sites without relying heavily on code.

    Smarter pattern editing

    Patterns and templates now come with different editing modes to make changes without accidentally messing up the design. When selecting a pattern, the List View will show you all the text and image elements in that pattern. This allows you to focus on the content-focused elements and change those where needed. However, when you click ‘Edit pattern’, it will also show you the remaining elements (design elements such as spacers), so you can still adjust those. This helps users focus on content optimization, while still giving the option to make changes to the design or layout if needed.

    Edit pattern from the list view in WordPress 7.0
    A list view showing the content and image elements in a pattern, with a button to edit the pattern further.

    This new approach makes it a bit easier to customize patterns to fit specific use cases across your website.

    Connect to AI tools of your choice

    WordPress 7.0 doesn’t come with any AI-powered tools, but it is laying some groundwork. It comes with a Connectors section below Settings in your WordPress backend. Here you can connect to external integrations, including AI providers or agents. This allows you to connect to Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, and more. You can search the directory if the integration you’re looking for isn’t listed right away.

    Connectors settings in WordPress 7.0
    The Connectors section in your WordPress settings

    This gives you one central place to maintain any integrations that your website or plugins need to connect to by API keys or other credentials. In addition, this gives developers a future-proof ecosystem and standardized framework to work with.

    A new list filter for plugins

    WordPress 7.0 adds a filter that allows plugins to register custom tabs on the Plugins screen. This enables grouping plugins under a custom tab with a proper label. For example, thanks to this feature we were able to add a dedicated “Yoast” tab on the Plugins screen. This groups all Yoast plugins on that website in one view, making it easier for site admins to check versions, manage activation, and keep the overview of their Yoast suite.

    Final thoughts

    As always, these are just a few highlights. New blocks, smarter workflows, a modern admin and AI foundations. There’s a lot more we haven’t discussed here. For example, performance was not ignored in this release. Particularly, client-side media processing (faster uploads, less server strain), continued improvements to block rendering, and responsiveness. These changes help WordPress scale better, especially for media-heavy sites. It’s also worth noting that WordPress 7.0 raises the minimum PHP version to 7.4.

    Still to come: real-time collaboration

    Originally, the real-time collaboration feature was going to be shipped in this release. But a short while back it was decided to postpone the release of this feature to ensure the stability of this release. This feature will probably be part of a future release.

    But for now, we can get going with the new features in WordPress highlighted above! So, go update to the latest version or dive into more details in the release post on WordPress.org.

    The post WordPress 7.0 is out: the 7 highlights of this release appeared first on Yoast.

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    Google’s new intelligent Search box – its biggest change to the search box in 25 years

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    Google unveiled the biggest change to its search box in 25 years. It is calling the new search box the “Intelligent Search box.” The new search box aims to bring easier access to the AI search features in Google Search to Google’s users.

    And yes, this is all powered by the latest Gemini release, Gemini 3.5 Flash.

    What it looks like. Google redesigned this search box to give searchers more space to ask longer, deeper queries. The search box will continue to expand as the user enters the query or prompt. There is an AI-powered suggestion that Google’s Head of Search, Liz Reid, said “goes beyond autocomplete.”

    Plus, you can search with text, images, files, videos or your Chrome tabs.

    Here is what the new intelligent search box looks like:

    This puts Google’s “most powerful AI tools right at your fingertips, making it easier to ask your questions,” Liz Reid of Google said.

    Seamless Google Search to AI Mode. Google also said it made the AI Overviews seamless link approach to AI Mode live today globally both on desktop and mobile. This is something that launched to many back in January but is now fully live.

    Here is how this works:

    Why we care. The Google Search box looks and feels different and that might be a big deal to how it leads to how users search on Google. It might impact the type of search traffic Google has been sending you and will send you in the future. It might lead to more people jumping to AI Mode sooner from Google Search and it might lead to more AI Overviews with deeper answers. It might lead to fewer clicks to your web site than before.

    Change is not always easy, but it is inevitable, especially when it comes to Google Search.

    Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO told us that the extraordinary thing about Search is how people search and expect more from Google Search.  Search is evolving, from individual queries to ongoing conversations and now to agentic workflows.  Search is the most used product in the world, Sundar said and Google will evolve super hard to stay a step ahead of where our users want to be.

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    Google Search now powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash

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    Google announced its latest and greatest AI model, Gemini 3.5 Flash today at Google I/O. Google’s head of Search, Liz Reid, said Gemini 3.5 Flash is Google’s “newest Flash model delivering sustained frontier performance for agents and coding.” She added that is now being used to power AI Mode globally.

    Gemini 3.5 Flash. Not only is Gemini 3.5 Flash powering AI Mode in Google Search, but it is also powering the Gemini app, for all users, not just paid users.

    For developers, 3.5 Flash is now live in Google Antigravity, Gemini API for Google AI Studio and Android Studio and for enterprise users for Enterprise Agent Platform and Gemini Enterprise.

    Koray Kavukcuoglu, CTO of Google DeepMind and Chief AI Architect, said:

    • “Gemini 3.5 Flash delivers intelligence that rivals large flagship models on multiple dimensions, at the speeds you have come to expect from the Flash series.”
    • “It’s our strongest agentic and coding model yet, outperforming Gemini 3.1 Pro on challenging coding and agentic benchmarks like Terminal-Bench 2.1 (76.2%), GDPval-AA (1656 Elo) and MCP Atlas (83.6%), and leading in multimodal understanding (84.2% on CharXiv Reasoning).”
    • “When looking at output tokens per second, it is 4 times faster than other frontier models. Landing in the top-right quadrant of the Artificial Analysis index, 3.5 Flash delivers frontier-level intelligence at exceptional speed — proving you no longer have to trade quality for latency.”

    Why we care. Gemini 3.5 is already powering Google Search’s AI Mode and is likely soon to power AI Overviews. It is a step up from the previous AI model and will continue to get smarter and more useful.

    It is important for you to see how the AI Mode responses differ from the previous model for the queries and prompts that matter to your site.

    Search is changing rapidly and you need to stay on top of these changes.

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    Google Search gains information agents and improved agentic experiences

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    Google also announced new search agents, including information agents and new agentic capabilities within Google Search. The information agent will continue to scan the web to find and monitor changes to your tasks and help you along your tasks journey.

    “We’re entering the era of Search agents, where you can easily create, customize and manage multiple Al agents for your many tasks, right in Search,” Liz Reid, the head of Google Search said.

    Information agents. The information agents will help you stay on top of your questions and tasks. Google said the agent will “intelligently look across everything on the web, like blogs, news sites and social posts, plus our freshest data, such as real-time info on finance, shopping and sports, to monitor for changes related to your specific question.”

    The information agent will then send you “an intelligent, synthesized update, with the ability to take action.”

    The example. Here is the example Google provided:

    “So if you’re apartment hunting, you can brain dump all of the exact requirements you’re looking for, and your agent will continuously scan for you, notifying you when listings meet your needs. Or if you want to know the instant any of your favorite pro athletes announce a sneaker collab, your agent will let you know when a new drop lands so you don’t miss out.”

    Availability. This will first roll out in the summer to Google Al Pro & Ultra subscribers.

    Agentic experiences. Google is also expanding its agentic booking capabilities in Google Search to handle new tasks including things like local experiences and services. So if you want to find a place that has a private karaoke room for a specific time and night, that also serves specific food, you can use Google Search to book that place for you.

    Google will pull together the latest pricing and availability with direct links for your to purchase it.

    This works across home, repair, beauty or pet care and will roll out this summer in the U.S.

    Personal intelligence expanding. Google also announced it is expanding Personal Intelligence in AI Mode to about 200 countries and territories and 98 languages.

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    Google lets you build your own app within Google Search with agentic coding

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    Google is now letting searchers build their own apps directly into Google Search. This enables searchers to set up a search feature that delivers the information they need, in the format they want, from the sources they want.

    Liz Reid, the head of Google Search, announced at Google I/O, “Search can build the ideal response, in the right format for your question – completely on the fly. So you can get custom generative Ul, including visual tools and simulations, tailored precisely to your needs.”

    Examples. Here are a few examples of what you can code yourself into Google Search:

    (1) Whether you want to wrap your mind around astrophysics or visualize how your watch works, Search can design custom layouts, assembling components (like interactive visuals, tables, graphs or simulations) in real-time, Google wrote.

    (2) Ongoing tasks widgets, like planning a wedding or managing a home move. Search can go a step further, building you custom dashboards or trackers that you can continue to come back to and make progress on. You can think of these like mini apps for your own specific tasks, Liz Reid explained.

    (3) Fitness tracker in Search, where you can ask Google Search to build you a custom fitness tracker. Search will code it for you, tapping into fresh, real-time sources including reviews, live maps and local data like the weather, so you get a tracker that works for you, helping you stay on track week after week.

    What it looks like. Here are some examples of what this looks like in Google Seaerch.

    Generative UI example:

    Custom tracker example:

    Availability. The generative Ul capabilities will be available for everyone in Search this summer, free of charge.

    The custom experiences with Antigravity, like mini apps, right in Search in the coming months, starting first for Google Al Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.

    Why we care. Google Search will not just answer your questions but you can code your own mini apps within Google Search to give you the answers you want, in the format and style you want.

    This is really a unique way for search and likely can only be done with generative-AI features and tooling.

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