Search in October 2026: six changes, and which ones need you
Google's AI answers get more links, new Maps rules for businesses, a fast lane for forum posts, Universal Cart and the spam update. What each means for you.
~/search-map/local
Maps and local
"Near me" searches, reviews, and the directories and list sites that rank for "best in town".
Google MapsApple MapsBing PlacesReview sitesDirectories
## What the platforms say
How results get picked
From each platform's own documentation. Linked so you can check it yourself.
Google ranks local results on three things: relevance, distance and prominence.
Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local rankingDistance is measured from the person searching, so the same business ranks differently depending on where the searcher is.
Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local rankingProminence means how well known a business is, and Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking.
Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking
> so whatYou can't move closer to every searcher. What you can work on is how well your profile matches the search, and how well known you are: reviews, mentions and the lists that rank.
## Writing
Tests, guides and takes
Google's new Maps rules: what you can't put in your Business Profile any more
Google's Maps policy now bans time-bound offers, prices and calls-to-action in your listing. A ten-minute check, what's still allowed, and where offers go now.
Ask ChatGPT who's the best and it reads the lists, not your website
We asked ChatGPT for the best plumber in Manchester 8 times. 75 citations, none from a plumber's own site. A Sydney lawyer query did the same.
Nobody pays for a ranking: why our SEO reports start with revenue
Our first revenue report for an electrician client said £0. SEO hadn't failed. Nobody had logged what a single job was worth. Here's what revenue-first SEO needs.
Work with SEO Engico
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