Daily Search Forum Recap: May 22, 2026

05/22/26
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Google May 2026 Core Update and Search Industry Highlights

Google’s May 2026 core update is rolling out, aiming to enhance content relevance across all sites. The Google Search Console link report is currently experiencing significant bugs causing inaccurate link data. OpenAI has updated its ChatGPT Ads Manager with new budgeting and geo-targeting features. Meanwhile, Bing and Google are testing new pricing label displays in shopping ads to improve user experience.

Optimixed’s Overview: Key Developments in Search Engine Updates and Advertising Innovations

Google’s Core Update and Search Console Issues

On Thursday, Google announced the launch of its May 2026 core update, expected to fully roll out within two weeks. This update is designed to better surface relevant and satisfying content for a wide range of search queries. Concurrently, many SEO professionals have reported that the Google Search Console’s links report is malfunctioning, showing either zero links or drastic drops, which is likely due to a bug.

Insights on XML Sitemap Management and Google Alerts

Google’s John Mueller discussed the benefits of splitting XML sitemap files into smaller, categorized parts based on site structure, which can improve indexing efficiency. Additionally, he advised on when SEOs should proactively monitor Google Search Console reports versus relying solely on email alerts, emphasizing a balanced approach for technical issue detection.

Advertising and Shopping Ad Innovations

  • OpenAI has enhanced its ChatGPT Ads Manager by adding daily budget controls and geo-targeting options, alongside experimenting with new call-to-action (CTA) formats to optimize ad performance.
  • Bing is testing the display of sale prices in shopping ads by highlighting discounts with green sale prices and crossed-out original prices.
  • Google is experimenting with pricing labels such as “was” and “usually” in product search results to provide shoppers with more pricing context.

Additional Industry Notes and Community Updates

The search community has observed possible removal of the “People Also Search For” feature for certain popular queries. Google continues to develop its AI-powered search features, including the new intelligent search box and Gemini 3.5 Flash AI model integrations. Meanwhile, rate limits for Gemini models have been increased to accommodate higher demand.

Overall, these developments reflect ongoing efforts by major players to improve search result relevance, advertising capabilities, and user experience for both searchers and marketers.