The SEO Update by Yoast – May 2026

Hosts

Alex Moss

Principal SEO

Carolyn Shelby

Principal SEO

Topics and sources

SEO & AI news

1. Guide to preferred sources in Google Search for web publishers
   • Guide to preferred sources in Google Search for web publishers
   • Google preferred sources available for all languages globally
2. Google Search Console fixes 50 week data logging issue
3. Google expands checkout and shopping features across Search
   • Google expands UCP checkout to main search shopping results
   • Google expands UCP checkout to search
   • Introducing the Universal Cart and more ways to help you shop
4. Bing on search indexing vs. grounding indexing​
5. Google to no longer support FAQ rich results
6. Search shifts toward AI answers and modular content
   • Evolving role of the index: from ranking pages to supporting answers
   • The death of the ultimate guide?
7. Gemini Intelligence expands proactive AI features on Android
   • Introducing Googlebook, designed for Gemini Intelligence
   • Gemini Intelligence brings proactive AI to Android
8. Google Analytics adds AI assistant as default channel group
9. Google’s guide to optimizing for generative AI features on Google Search
10. Envato ends exclusive author model, moves all marketplace sellers to flat 50% revenue share
11. Clarifying that spam policies apply to generative AI responses in Google Search
12. Condé Nast CEO: plan as if search traffic will be zero
13. Google I/O 2026: agentic Gemini era reshapes Search and AI
    • A new era for AI Search
    • I/O 2026: welcome to the agentic Gemini era
    • Introducing Gemini Spark, a personal AI agent
    • Introducing Managed Agents on the Gemini API
    • Google adds AI agents to Search, redesigns search box at I/O

Also in the news…

1. A farewell to Ask.com | 30 Years of Curiosity
2. Stripe launch wallets for agents

WordPress news

1. WordPress 7.0 is out: the 7 highlights of this release

Yoast news

1. New: Yoast AI Content Planner turns a blank post into a structured draft