Daily Search Forum Recap: May 22, 2026

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Google launched the May 2026 core update on Thursday afternoon. Google Search Console links report drops tons of links, it must be a bug. Google's John Mueller spoke about why you should split your XML sitemap file up. he also spoke about when to rely on Google Search Console email alerts and when not to. OpenAI released more ChatGPT Ad Manager features like daily budgets and geo-targeting, while also testing new CTAs in its ad units. Bing is testing showing sale prices in its shopping ads. Google is testing pricing labels for was and usually. Plus, I posted the weekly video recap. Note, I am offline today for a holiday, so this and everything else was written on Thursday and scheduled to be posted today.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google May 2026 Core Update Is Rolling Out - You Felt It
  Google officially announced the rollout of the May 2026 core update just now, on Thursday at around 11:43 am ET. This core update is expected to take about 2 weeks to roll out. Google said this "is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites."
• Google Search Console Links Report Is Broken
  It looks like the Google Search Console link report has gone haywire and is broken pretty badly. Tons of SEOs are seeing zero links in the report, whereas others are seeing huge drops in the link counts in the report.
• OpenAI Releases ChatGPT Ads Manager Updates & Ads Tests
  OpenAI sent out an email a couple of days ago to advertisers announcing three updates to the ChatGPT Ads manager and new ChatGPT Ad experience updates (CTA updates).
• Google: Why Split Your XML Sitemap File
  For many many years, some SEOs have a strategy of breaking up their XML sitemap files into categories. SEOs do it for various reasons, sometimes it is dependent on the site and site structure.
• Are Google Search Console Email Alerts Enough?
  Are you the type of SEO that digs into all the Google Search Console reporting every single day, to find technical issues or other problematic issues? Or do you sit back and just wait for...
• Bing Tests Showing Sale Prices In Shopping Ads
  Microsoft Bing is testing showing the sale price in the shopping ads within the Bing search results. Bing highlights the sale price in green and crosses out the original price, while also...
• Google Tests Was & Usually Pricing Labels In Product Results
  Google is testing showing pricing labels on product and shopping results. It shows if the price is current or what the price usually is. Google labels the product results, near the price as "was" or "usually."
• Empty Google I/O Keynote Stadium
  Here is a photo of the Google I/O keynote stadium at the Shoreline Amphitheatre almost completely empty before the big keynote that took place this past Tuesday.
• Video: Google's New Search Box, Gemini 3.5 Flash Powers AI Mode, New Google Ads, Ranking Volatility & More I/O GML News
  This week, we had both Google I/O and Google Marketing Live, so we have a lot of news. Google launched a new search box it is calling the intelligent search box. Google also launched Gemini 3.5 Flash, which is now powering...
• Programming Note: Offline For Shavuot On Friday
  This is a programming note that I will be completely offline for the holiday of Shavout/Shavous on Friday, May 22, 2026. Any stories published here will be scheduled, written beforehand, and not written during the holiday hours.

Other Great Search Threads:

• I feel like Google is removing the ‘People Also Search For’ section, as I can’t see it for some popular queries like SEO, cushions, and running shoes, Sachin Patel on X
• An update: we’re 3xing the rate limits for Gemini models across all paid tiers in Antigravity and resetting everyone’s Gemini quota for the week. We understand some people hit their rate limits quickly and wanted to respond fas, Varun Mohan on X
• Does it matter if your site has root.com/blog and root.com/blog/ or should one redirect to the other?, Reddit
• little Easter egg in the Gemini app, you can make the neural pulse animation happen again by tapping on the logo, Parker Ortolani on X
• Tired but happy after a day full of Google Marketing Live conversations. Had the privilege of joining 16 other PPCers brought in for NDA sessions with Google to help guide the future of Search as well as offer product feedback…, Kirk Williams on X
• You will absolutely continue to see blue web links in search results, and our AI features include prominent links to the web directly within responses. AI Mode is not the default experience in Search. Our new sea, News from Google on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• How signal decay hurts your top-of-funnel performance
• Why AI adoption may look bigger than it really is: Data
• What multilingual regions reveal about the future of AI search
• Reddit’s AI search influence goes beyond training data
• The search everywhere optimization pyramid: How to build visibility before search

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• All in on AI Series: Agentic Commerce, Microsoft Advertising
• Gemini users are frustrated by new usage limit changes, 9to5Google
• Google is pitching an AI agent ecosystem to consumers who may not buy it, TechCrunch
• Scoop: White House postpones AI EO signing ceremony, Axios

Analytics

• Data Strength: The Measurement Foundation Your Google AI Needs, Brainlabs

Industry & Business

• Anthropic Is in Talks to Use Microsoft’s AI Chips, The Information
• BrightEdge Data: Gemini Becomes No. 2 Consumer AI Referral Source in Q1 2026, Larger Than Every Other ChatGPT Rival Combined, BrightEdge
• Google to sponsor U.S. Soccer’s World Cup roster reveal, Sports Business Journal
• Mind-Blowing Growth Is About to Propel Anthropic Into Its First Profitable Quarter, Wall Street Journal

Links & Content Marketing

• The New Rules of Search: Key AEO & Content Trends for 2026, Search Engine Journal
• Your Best Content Campaign Got Cut. Now What?, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Android Auto Users Claim Google Maps Is Bombarding Them With Ads, Pop-Ups Interrupt Navigation, AutoEvolution
• Simulate real-world places with Project Genie and Street View, Google Blog
• Skip the app: This Google Maps widget puts live traffic on your home screen, How To Geek

SEO

• Google I/O 2026: What you need to know for SEO /AEO, Product Led SEO
• Google’s AI search is here, and publishers look elsewhere for traffic, Digiday
• Is AI Killing Publisher Search Traffic? The Honest Answer, Sitebulb
• Is Domain Age a Ranking Factor? 100K SERPs Analyzed, SE Ranking
• Oncrawl MCP: Connect your crawl data to Claude Code to automate your SEO audits, Oncrawl
• The Problem & The Fix on GEO case studies promising results in 1 week, Seer Interactive

PPC

• ChatGPT Ads Are Here: Why Brands Should Move Early on AI Advertising, JumpFly
• Get 2× Ads Credit for New Google Ads Accounts, PPC News Feed
• Google Merchant Center Introduces Conversational Attributes, PPC News Feed
• What is AI Max for Shopping?, ZATO

Search Features

• Chrome tests AI Mode settings to access open tabs, Windows Report
• Google I/O 2026 and the End of the Click-Driven Web, Jarred Smith

Other Search

• The Internet is Angry About Google's New Search Experience Announcement, Joe Youngblood

Feedback:

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I am currently offline for the Shavout holiday, this post was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today.