The SEO Update by Yoast – June 2026

Topics and sources

SEO & AI news

1. Google strongly warns against manipulating brand mentions for AI manipulation
2. CMA secures fairer deal for publishers and improves Google search services in UK
3. Google launches Search Console AI performance reports and blocking controls:
   • Google search console AI performance report & AI blocking controls
   • Introducing Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console
   • Live preview: Google search console AI report & controls
4. New AI visibility insights in Bing Webmaster Tools​
5. Google adds new publisher profiles, insights and business data integrations
   • Google analytics is adding Google Business profile data
   • New opportunities, control and insights for website owners
   • A new profile to help publishers and creators highlight their work on Search
6. Google updates SEO guidance on hiring experts and using SEO tools
   • Google updates its hiring an SEO doc warning on SEO tools & AI optimization
   • Google search’s guidance on using third-party SEO tools, services & advice
   • Google adds guidance on third-party SEO tools, services, advice and updates hiring an SEO doc
7. Schema.org adds usage statistics​
8. Google can be directly liable for false AI Overview claims, German court rules​
9. Google introduces the Open Knowledge Format for AI agents
   • Introducing the Open Knowledge Format
   • Google Cloud announces the Open Knowledge Format
   • Google shipped an open format (OKF) for AI agents. My site already spoke it. — Sugantha
10. Google and industry debate the value of llms.txt for AI SEO
    • We analyzed 137K sites: 97% of llms.txt files never get read
    • Google says HTML the standard for SEO, not markdown files
    • Google’s updated guidance now says it’s “fine” to use LLMs.txt for AI SEO
    • Clarifying guidance on llms.txt files
11. Announcing the Agentic Resource Discovery specification
12. Bruce Clay reflects on his SEO legacy​

Also in the news…

1. Screaming Frog SEO Spider update – version 24.0
2. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is OK with AI Mode replacing classic Search
3. Google must let websites opt out of AI search features in UK​
4. May core update complete​
5. Google Search AI Overviews & AI Mode was unaffected by Gemini outage
6. Anthropic forced to shut down Fable 5 by U.S. government order
7. Google tightens requirements for domain migrations
8. Connect Google Business Profile (GBP) to Google Analytics
9. Guidance on third-party SEO tools, services, and advice​
10. Removing documentation for the FAQ rich result feature
11. Google rolls out and completes June spam update

Yoast news

1. New: Yoast releases performance optimizations for larger websites