Google Search Console is quietly testing something that could change how we report on SEO performance - and Google Maps teamed up with Dua Lipa in a genuinely useful local SEO story. Here are your five.
1. Google is testing AI search reports inside Search Console
Google is testing a dedicated AI Search section inside Search Console that shows separate performance data for how sites appear in AI-generated results - impressions, clicks and visibility tracked independently from traditional organic. A small number of UK sites are already seeing it in testing. Google blog
2. What is the "agentic web"?
The agentic web is the layer of internet activity driven by AI agents - ChatGPT browsing, AI assistants researching, tools booking on someone's behalf. When an agent visits a site it doesn't read like a human: it pulls structured information, skims for clarity and moves on, so clean, well-structured sites win and cluttered ones get left behind. For anyone selling websites or SEO, the pitch is evolving from "help clients rank on Google" to "be found and understood by the agents making decisions for their customers." Search Engine Journal
3. TikTok is giving creators control over their own keywords
Creators can now suggest or block the keywords TikTok associates with their posts in the metadata. The platform keeps final oversight, but creators get real input into how content is categorised and discovered - essentially keyword optimisation for TikTok, and a solid upsell conversation for clients with a presence on the platform. Social Media Today
4. How agencies are using Insites MCP to prospect smarter
Insites MCP lets AI assistants run real website audits automatically - point it at a business and it returns a full diagnostic of what's working, what's broken and where the opportunities are, so you already know a prospect's pain points before you're on the call. Learn more on LinkedIn
5. Google Maps partnered with Dua Lipa, and it's actually a local SEO story
Google published 12 curated Maps lists with Dua Lipa and her travel platform Service95, featuring her favourite spots around the world - another sign Google is doubling down on curated, human-endorsed local lists. Google blog
Small business shout-out
This week's shout-out goes to Tranquil Plants, a UK small business specialising in kokedama - plants grown from a ball of moss rather than a traditional pot. They sell indoor plants and bonsai trees online, run wellness workshops and offer corporate gifting. Know a small business we should feature? Reply and let us know.
