SEO Daily News Recap for Monday, February 2, 2026
Organic SEO & Search News
Google Webmaster Report February 2026: Stay updated on the latest Google organic search topics and unconfirmed ranking movements from last month.
Google Maps SEO Strategies: Boost your local visibility with actionable strategies to rank higher on Google Maps and attract more customers.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads: OpenAI is quietly preparing to introduce ads in ChatGPT responses, signaling a potential shift in ad placement strategies.
Paid Search & Platform Innovations
Google Ads AI Chat Agent: Google Ads is replacing its support form with an AI chat agent, enhancing user support experiences within the platform.
Google Ads API Update: The latest Google Ads API v23 now allows advertisers to analyze Performance Max campaign results by channel for more precise insights.
ChatGPT Behavioral Ads: ChatGPT ads prioritize behavioral understanding over keyword intent, revolutionizing ad relevance and measurement approaches.
General Digital Marketing
TikTok’s Service Restoration: TikTok’s US services are back after data center issues, providing relief to users and advertisers alike.
SpaceX-xAI Merger Impact: Elon Musk explores merging SpaceX and xAI, potentially revolutionizing space exploration and AI integration.
Modern Google Ads Targeting: Learn how to develop a cutting-edge Google Ads targeting strategy that predicts intent and connects with the right audiences effectively.
Dive into our detailed sections for more insights and updates.
Organic SEO & Search News
SEO Daily News and Algorithm Updates
TikTok Says its US Services Have Been Restored After Recent Issues
TikTok US is back in action after winter storms disabled a major data center.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
TikTok Says US Services Restored After Recent Issues
TikTok US is back in action after winter storms disabled a major data center.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
Snapchat Says its Restricted 415k Teen Accounts in Australia
Though Snap also says that the teen social ban has various flaws.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
Daily Search Forum Recap: February 2, 2026
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…
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Search Engine Roundtable
February 2026 Google Webmaster Report
Welcome to the Google Webmaster report, where I sum up all the more important Google organic search topics that occurred over the past month – just in case you (or I) missed it. January was an incredibly volatile month regarding unconfirmed Google search ranking movement. I posted about it several times.
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Search Engine Roundtable
AI Visibility Reporting Coming To Google Search Console?
John Mueller from Google dropped a very John-like hint that maybe, just maybe, Google Search Console will add AI visibility reporting. John was asked about it again and responded, saying, "While I have nothing to announce, I can say for sure that very few things online are permanent."
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Search Engine Roundtable
Google Has Nothing To Share On Recent Google Search Ranking Volatility
As you know, January was an incredibly intense month of Google Search ranking volatility. It surprised me that Google has still not confirmed that a Google search ranking update took place. Now, John Mueller of Google was asked about it and said, "Unfortunately, I don’t have any insights / updates to share."
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Search Engine Roundtable
Technical SEO
xAI Releases Updated Video Generation Process in Grok
X’s latest video generator sees improvements in various aspects.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
How to Identify Market Trends: 6 Effective Strategies
If you’re scrolling social media or reading industry publications to identify market trends, consider using one of these six more effective strategies.
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Unknown Source
SEO Tools and Data Analysis
Better Metrics for AI Search Visibility
AI-generated search is pushing merchants to measure product visibility, but traditional metrics fall short.
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SEO – Practical Ecommerce
How this PM uses MCPs to automate his meeting prep, CRM updates, and customer feedback synthesis | Reid Robinson (Zapier)
Watch now | 🎙️ How to use Zapier’s MCP server to connect Claude with 8,000+ apps: automating CRM updates, meeting preparation, and creating a virtuous cycle of customer feedback
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Lenny’s Newsletter
Local SEO
Google Maps SEO: 5 Proven Strategies to Rank Higher
Boost your local visibility with 5 actionable Google Maps SEO strategies. Get more customers with better rankings, consistent reviews, and optimized listings that convert.
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Local SEO – SEO Blog by Ahrefs
AI and Machine Learning in SEO
OpenAI quietly lays groundwork for ads in ChatGPT
ChatGPT’s hidden ad infrastructure signals a near-term launch of high-intent ads that could directly compete with organic answers.
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Search Engine Land
OpenAI Preps ChatGPT Code To Allow Ads
If you look at the source code in some of the responses OpenAI’s ChatGPT gives you, you may now see references to ads. The response in the source code says, "InReply to user query using the following additional context of ads shown to the user."
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Search Engine Roundtable
Content Marketing and Strategy
2026 Social Media Benchmarks [Infographic]
The report looks at the latest engagement trends across the major social apps.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
Career Development and Industry Trends
How the Merger of SpaceX and xAI Will Impact X
Elon Musk is reportedly exploring a merger of his AI and space exploration projects.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
How a Merger of SpaceX and xAI Would Impact X
Elon Musk is reportedly exploring a merger of his AI and space exploration projects.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
User Experience and SEO Optimization
Human experience optimization: Why experience now shapes search visibility
Search performance is shaped by engagement, trust, and post-click behavior. HXO connects SEO with UX, CRO, and brand signals.
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Search Engine Land
Paid Search & Platform Innovations
Paid Search and Advertising
TikTok Shares Insight into Effective Ad Measurement Approaches
TikTok’s latest research report digs into ROI and effective ad approaches.
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Social Media Today – Latest News
How to build a modern Google Ads targeting strategy like a pro
Learn a practical PPC framework that predicts intent, reaches beyond search, and connects the right audiences to the right content.
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Search Engine Land
Google Ads API update cracks open Performance Max by channel
Google Ads API v23 lets advertisers break down PMax campaign results by channel, offering more precise insights for optimization.
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Search Engine Land
Ads in ChatGPT: Why behavior matters more than targeting
ChatGPT ads mark a shift from keyword intent to behavioral understanding, changing how relevance, creative and measurement work.
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Search Engine Land
Google Local Pack Ads Showing Up Way More Often
Google seems to be showing more and more ads in the local pack, aka Local Pack Ads. Just a couple of months ago, Google had ads on the local pack for less than 3% of tracked keywords; now it’s up to about 22% of tracked keywords.
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Search Engine Roundtable
Google Ads Replacing Support Form With AI Chat Agent
Google seems to be replacing its Google Ads support form with an AI agent, maybe from its Ads Advisor system. When you go to support.google.com/google-ads/gethelp you are redirected to the chat experience now. I am not sure if this is global, but I am seeing this myself across two Google Ads accounts I have access to.
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Search Engine Roundtable
The in-house vs. agency debate misses the real paid media problem
Performance rarely fails because of talent. It stalls when strategy, visibility, and accountability break down.
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Search Engine Land
Job Postings
Job Postings
2/2/2026
Contract Digital Marketing Strategist (SEO/SEM/SMM)
JOB DETAILS Company Location: Two Rivers Marketing – Des Moines, IA Position Schedule: Contractor / Freelance WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR Two Rivers Marketing is seeking a well-rounded, experienced Digital Marketing Strategist to join our freelance network. We are looking for a partner who can provide consultation and strategic guidance across the digital landscape—including web, mobile, […]
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SEO Agency Jobs – SEOjobs.com
Job Postings
2/2/2026
Brand & Marketing Manager (SEO/SEM)
Job Summary We are seeking an experienced Marketing and Communications Manager to join our team in Austin, Texas. The ideal candidate will possess extensive integrated marketing experience, a passion for detail, and a proven ability to drive growth in a scale-up or high-growth environment. This role is best suited for a candidate who has experience […]
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In-house SEO jobs – SEOjobs.com
Job Postings
2/2/2026
Senior Digital Marketing Manager (SEO, UX, CRO)
Who We Are Are you passionate about hard problems, driven people, and adding your creative touch to everything you do? At Sock Club, we deliver memorable experiences and quality custom products in innovative ways. We’ve worked with brands like Google and LinkedIn, and artists like Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, and Kacey Musgraves. We believe no […]
Job Postings
2/2/2026
Digital Strategist (SEO, UX)
Who We Are DCG is an award-winning, full-service engagement, digital, research, and data company with over 15 years of experience supporting the military, Veterans, and the American public. DCG strategically researches, plans, executes, and evaluates large-scale, multi-platform outreach initiatives across a wide range of mission-driven issues including human trafficking awareness, mental health stigma reduction, suicide […]
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In-house SEO jobs – SEOjobs.com
