The September 2026 SEO Update by Yoast recap

Each month, we presenter the SEO Update by Yoast, covering the latest in hunt and AI. In this edition, Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss discussed Google’s latest satisfied updates, the effect of AI on hunt visibility, and how to modify to the evolving digital landscape.

Watch the complete recap on YouTube to dive deeper into these topics, comprehend examples, and get answers to spectators questions.

Key stories from September 2026

Reddit citations in ChatGPT lift phase risks

A study from The State of Brand highlighted the risks brands visage whenever their data is cited on third-party platforms specified as Reddit. Since LLMs are probabilistic fairly than deterministic, they depend on recurring data to verify their accuracy.

Why it matters:
Your brand’s messaging power be shaped by external sources, not fair your own content. If negative opinion dominates discussions concerning your brand on Reddit or assessment sites, that could be the narrative LLMs choice up.

Actionable takeaway:

• Ensure your messaging is accordant and extensively referenced throughout all platforms.
• Actively affect in discussions on third-party sites to provision counter-narratives anywhere needed.
• Monitor mentions of your brand regularly and location inaccuracies.

Google says ChatGPT sends new spectators to Search

AI is not replacing search but altering how group engage alongside it. Google reports that ChatGPT is driving new hunt queries, frequently long-tail and additional specific.

Why it matters:
Users are now conducting additional searches than always before, but these searches differ from traditional ones. They are additional conversational and tailored to particular needs. The growth in AI-generated queries method additional opportunities for your satisfied to rank, provided it addresses niche topics.

Actionable takeaway:

• Focus on creating satisfied that dives profound into particular Subject matter and answers distinctive questions.
• Optimize for long-tail keywords and conversational queries.
• Leverage tools akin Google Trends and Mark Williams Cook’s AlsoAsked to examine connected topics.

OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads globally

OpenAI has officially rolled out ads in ChatGPT globally. This follows months of experimentation.

Why it matters:
Ads in ChatGPT could additional complicate visibility for integrated results. Just akin Google Ads formerly did, paid placements may commencement to dominate notice inside AI conversations. However, this can additionally be an chance for brands that desire to justify their satisfied is seen.

Actionable takeaway:

• Explore operating ads on ChatGPT, so your brand doesn’t young female out on visibility.
• Optimize your ad creatives to remain out against integrated listings.

Google loses belief in low-value programmatic SEO

Google is cracking down on sites using low-value programmatic satisfied to manipulate rankings.

Why it matters:
Forget what you heard in the past; this category of satisfied is not fair unhelpful now, it is actively harmful. These pages are frequently created solely to position for as many keywords as imaginable alongside minimal effort, offering small to no value to users. This method has continually been risky, and since the September 2026 center update, it is increasingly apt to backfire.

Actionable takeaway:

• Audit all programmatic satisfied on your site.
• Ensure all leaf provides distinctive insights or first-person perspectives.
• Back up your satisfied alongside evidence, first research, or distinctive data.

Google deploys new AI spam detector

Google has officially launched SAFE, its new AI spam detector. This is another stage in their ongoing attempt to combat low-quality, auto-generated content.

Why it matters:
Google is actively operating to combat spammy content. This new safety is filtering out unhelpful, auto-generated satisfied so that helpful satisfied can exterior instead.

Actionable takeaway:

• Review your satisfied and eliminate any low-quality or auto-generated pages.
• Focus on creating high-quality, user-centric content.

Google tests paying publishers for AI answers

Google is piloting a new program to compensate publishers for satisfied used in AI-generated answers.

Why it matters:
As AI answers rotate into the norm, publishers need new ways to monetize their content. If they depend solely on traditional models, they may battle as traffic declines. With small group clicking through to their sites, publishers need to discover an substitute way to earn, and Google may be providing it.

Actionable takeaway:

• Explore new income models beyond ad-based traffic.
• Monitor betterment in AI-driven satisfied monetization closely.

Cloudflare lets sites obstacle AI training without blocking Googlebot

Cloudflare now allows sites to obstacle AI crawlers, specified as those from OpenAI, without blocking Googlebot.

Why it matters:
While this may audio tempting, it’s finest to think lengthy and difficult before blocking AI from crawling your site. Blocking AI crawlers volition eliminate your location from AI-generated answers, making your satisfied small visible. If you’re not in those AI answers, you won’t get the traffic or the credit.

Actionable takeaway:

• Weigh the pros and cons of blocking AI crawlers.
• Focus on ensuring your satisfied is well-structured and accessible so that AI systems can citation it accurately.

Google is blocking scrapers and tracking tools

Google is actively blocking assorted scrapers and tracking tools.

Why it matters:
With annotations disappearing from Google Analytics and Google blocking scrapers, the tools we depend on for this data volition rotate into small reliable. This change volition apt power SEOs to modify their strategies and depend additional on substitute data sources. The insights we get from our tools volition likely rotate into additional directional alternatively of exact.

Actionable takeaway:

• Prepare clients and stakeholders for small dependable data.
• Diversify your data sources so that you can cross-reference for accuracy.
• Use LLMs to analyze your exports and discover consistencies in your data.

Google Lighthouse adds AI delegate asset finding audit

Google Lighthouse now includes an audit for AI Agent Resource Discovery (ARD).

Why it matters:
This tells agents a site’s capabilities. It is expected to rotate into increasingly crucial for discovery. Should you execute it? That depends on how ample your location is. If your location is small, consisting of about five pages, afterward it isn’t necessary. However, if your location is ample and complex, ARD volition let agents comprehend what they can do alongside your site’s pages.

Actionable takeaway:

• Decide if your endeavor needs ARD.
• If your location is ample and complex, activity alongside your betterment squad to prioritize this.

Research finds AI manner may dispatch small clicks

Research shows that AI Overviews may be sending small clicks to publishers.

Why it matters:
If we desire to be discovered, we need to position extremely and justify our snippets drag users in. Bearing this in mind, it is now additional crucial than always to justify your satisfied is distinctive so that an LLM has a logic to citation you.

Actionable takeaway:

• Focus on high-quality, distinctive satisfied that provides genuine value.
• Optimize your snippets to entice users to click.

Google Search traffic to publishers continues to decline

Google Search continues to see a drop in referrals, a trend observed throughout the web.

Why it matters:
As the digital landscape shifts, traditional metrics akin traffic are becoming small dependable indicators of success. Visibility equals achievement in the current environment, and you can have visibility without traffic.

Actionable takeaway:

• Focus on unique, high-quality content.
• Find new KPIs that accurately indicate your performance.
• Analyze AI-driven insights to discover out what is really operating for your business.

Google updates direction on using generative AI content

Google has updated its guidelines on the use of AI in satisfied creation.

Why it matters:
Google is making it apparent that using AI to create satisfied is not inherently bad. Bad satisfied is bad, whether humans or AI create it. If your satisfied offers nothing new, unique, or interesting, afterward LLMs already have that information. Why would they citation you?

Actionable takeaway:

• Use AI to assistance in creating new and engaging content.
• Always assessment AI-generated satisfied to justify its accuracy.

Anthropic calls for a slowdown in AI development

The CEO of Anthropic has called for a slowdown in AI advancement, during another endeavor leaders disagree. You can peruse their thoughts here and here.

Why it matters:
Is this a genuine involvement for safety or a strategic move to acquire a rivalrous edge? Either way, it’s sparking crucial conversations concerning what the forthcoming of AI volition appearance like.

Actionable takeaway:

• Stay informed concerning the discussions surrounding AI development.
• Consider the ethical implications of your use of AI.

Yoast news: introducing Yoast SEO AI+ for Shopify

We have fair launched Yoast SEO AI+ for Shopify. This combines Yoast SEO alongside AI Brand Insights, a tool that provides understanding into how AI platforms depict brands.

Why it matters:
Shopify stores that use Yoast SEO AI+ can acquire a deeper understanding of how AI is portraying their brand. This allows the chance to modify to any inaccuracies.

Actionable takeaway:

• Try out Yoast SEO AI+ for Shopify to acquire precious insights.
• Adapt your branding according to your findings.

Sign up for the next SEO Update by Yoast

Want to remain in the loop? Sign up for the next SEO Update by Yoast. The next display volition be on the 27th October 202.

Can’t delay until afterward this month? You can continually observe the former editions whenever suits you, or equal listen alongside on Spotify.