Here is the big Google webmaster report for October 2026, where I recap the most important organic and webmaster-focused Google Search news for the past month. Clearly, the Google September 2026 spam update, which started off strong and is still rolling out, is the big ticker. But we also have other unconfirmed Google updates to cover.
Google is testing paying publishers for using its content in AI Mode, AI Overviews and Gemini through the AI contribution report in Search Console but the payouts seem small. Google globally released AI performance reports and controls and a new multimodal search filter for the performance reports. Oh, and there was a confirmed indexing bug this past month and news content went missing for some time.
Google released Gemini 3.8 Flash in AI Mode but it was missing links and citations, which Google fixed later. Google then released Gemini 3.8 Live, updated several UI changes with AI Overviews and AI Mode. But Google also confirmed it is testing dive deeper in Discover which would be horrible for publishers.
Google added ad metrics to the Chrome user experience report but Google kind of said it is not a ranking factor, at least not yet. Google can lose faith in your site if you do programmatic SEO.
Google dodged being broken up again, this time over the ad tech business. Instead Google needs to make behvarial changes with oversight. But in the European Union, Google appealed having to share data with competitors and it makes Google feel sad and terrible.
And, happy 28th birthday Google.
If you missed last month, you can read the September 2026 Google Webmaster Report.
Here are the important headlines from the past month on this topic:
Google Search Updates:
- Google September 2026 Spam Update Has Been Unleashed
- Google September 2026 Spam Update Has Big Weekend Impact
- Google Search Ranking Volatility Hits September 23rd & 24th
- Google Search Ranking Volatility Heats Up This Morning - September 15th
- Google Search Update September 4th That Reverted September 13th?
- Google Search Using Gemini 3.8 Flash In AI Mode
- Google AI Mode Gemini 3.8 Flash Not Link / Citation Friendly?
- Google Search Live Now Powered By Gemini 3.8 Live
- Google AI Overview Links Pushing You To AI Mode Over Web Pages
- Google Globally Rolls Out Monitoring Capabilities In AI Mode
- Google AI Mode Tests Text Link Ads
- Google AI Overviews Return For Many Large Brand Names
- Google AI Overviews Get A Character Counter Tool
- Google AI Overviews With Way More External Links; Report
- Google Discover Tests Dive Deeper Feature
- Google Al Contribution Pilot - Paying Publishers For Use Of Content In AI
- Google Paying ~100 Publishers 0.1% Of Ad Revenue In AI Contribution Pilot
- Global: Google Search Console AI Performance Report & AI Control
- Multimodal Search Type Filter In Google Search Console Performance Report
- Google Search Console Indexing Report Missing Old June Data
- Google: The Old Position 1-10 Is Hard To Map For Site Owners
- Google: Google Search Console AI Position Reporting Will Evolve Over Time
- Google Trends Explore Page Adds Category Filtering
- Google Confirmed Indexing Reporting Bug From Yesterday As Short Blip
- Google Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) With Ad Metrics
- Google Page Experience Docs Adds CrUX Ad Metrics
- Google Can Lose Faith In Sites Based On Low Value Programmatic SEO
- Google Video Schema Gets Creator Property & Updated interactionStatistic
- Google Search: It's Normal For Image Thumbnails To Be Slow To Update
- Google Hreflang Examples To Uppercase Codes - But It Doesn't Matter
- Google: Sometimes There Is No Absolute Right Answer For SEO
- Google: The Disavow Tool Does Have Effects
- Publishers Noticing Google News Tab Content Disappearing
- Google May Be More Successful In Blocking Scrapers & Tracking Tools
- Almost 100% Of People Also Ask Results Are Answered By Google AI Overviews
- Google AI Overviews Testing Citations Cards At Bottom (Not Right Side) Again
- Google Tests Replacing Show More Button On AI Overviews With Loading...
- Regional Differences In Google Search Experience Documentation
- Google Search Drops Free Product Listings From European Economic Area
- Google European Ecosystem Carousel Live For Weather, Translations & More
- Google Supports Local Business Queries In Aggregator & Supplier Search Units
- Google Local Knowledge Panel As An AI Overview
- Google Search Profiles Article Design, Less Followers & Easier Login
- Google Search Profile Badge - How To Add It To Your Site
- Google Business Profiles Gives You Four Days To Reject User Edits
- Google Maps Now Requires Sign In To Read All Reviews & More
- New Google Business Profiles Submit A Business Photo For Verification
- Google Maps Bug Places Map Pins In Middle Of Ocean
- Google Business Profiles Email: Detected A Spike In Spam Reviews
- Google Business Profiles Email: Does This Look Right To You
- Google Business Profile API Application Delays
- Google Business Profiles Tests Set Your Hours Automatically
- Google Posts Cracks Down On Unverified Contact Information
- Google Business Profiles Policies Adds Misuse Of Support Channels
- Google Maps Phone Number in Photo Scam
- Judge Rules Google Ad Tech Business Won't Be Broken Up
- Google Ad Tech Monopoly Remedies: Behavioral Changes With Oversight
- Google Appeals Europe's DMA Mandate To Share Search History Data
- Google's Nick Fox Feels Sad & Terrible For European Searchers After DMA
- CMA: Google Should Make It Easier To Choose Other Search Engine On Android & Chrome
- Google's 28th Birthday Doodle Takes You To Google AI Mode Quiz
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
