Google’s Latest Updates – Everything You Need to Know in One Place

As a digital marketing agency, staying ahead of Google’s constant updates is essential. If you work in marketing, you will know the frequency in which Google release updates – often when you least expect them. It can be challenging to keep up, and while major Core Algorithm updates grab attention, smaller changes can easily go unnoticed.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this blog, we break down some of the most recent changes, so all of your answers are in one place – saving you time and research.

 

Google Business Profile – QR Codes

Google has launched a QR code feature for business profiles for easier review collection. Users can now generate a QR code that will take customers directly to their review page, making the process of receiving reviews easier and increasing the likelihood of customers leaving feedback.

Reviews play a crucial role in local SEO because they help improve search rankings, increase visibility and build trust with potential customers. Google considers factors like review quantity, quality, and recency when determining local search rankings. This means that businesses with more positive reviews are likely to appear higher in local search results, than those with less and poorer reviews. Having reviews on your Google Business Profile also encourages engagement and helps to boost CTR to your site. As a business, you should ensure reviews are consistently gathered to enhance your overall online reputation, allowing you to stay competitive in the local market.

By Google introducing a QR code feature, it is now easier than ever to obtain reviews for your Google Business Profile. QR codes can be displayed in physical locations, added to social media posts, emails or business receipts – meaning a wide customer base will be more inclined to leave a review. Today, users rely on reviews more than you think and often people will consider a business’s overall rating before making informed decisions. Ensure you fuel your business growth with regular reviews and consider using this new feature for greater ease.

To access this new feature, go to your Google Business Profile dashboard on your desktop, click the ‘ask for reviews’ option and there you will be able to generate a QR code.

 

Google AI Overviews Upgrade

Google has upgraded its AI Overviews with Gemini 2.0. While currently limited to the United States, this feature is expected to expand to more regions soon. For a more in-depth understanding of AI overviews, have a read of our previous blog.

According to Google, AI Overviews are now one of the most popular search features as they are used by more than a billion people. In a recent blog, they have confirmed that due to its ongoing success, they will continue to advance and improve the experience to make it better than it currently is. Their most recent update is Gemini 2.0, a new tool designed to handle more complex questions, including coding and advanced math queries. It will also be accessible to a broader audience, including teens, as signing in will no longer be required to access AI overviews.

 

Launching ‘AI Mode’

To run alongside this, Google has introduced ‘AI Mode’, which initially is an experimental feature that is available to Google One AI premium subscribers in search labs. This is a paid service for users who would like to turn on advanced AI features. Currently information on this is limited, but here is what we know so far…

AI Mode is powered by Gemini 2.0 and enables users to ask more complex, multi-layered questions, drawing from multiple sources for deeper insights. The idea is for Google to draw from multiple data sources simultaneously to provide the user with the most accurate answer to their question. They hope that this new AI mode feature will make it even easier for people to explore content and find the answers they are looking for.

This new feature has been under testing, and this has now been expanded to a limited opt-in experience in labs. Google One AI premium subscribers are the first to try out this new feature before Google continue to expand its service to more users.

 

What does this mean for marketing?

These updates highlight Google’s ongoing push towards enhanced user experience, AI-drive search and local business optimisation. For marketers, you should consider your current strategies to leverage these new features effectively. As it currently stands, in the UK we will only be able to use the new QR code feature, but integrating this across your business or for your clients will help to improve local SEO results.

To prepare for changes with Google AI Overview, marketers should optimise content for AI Overviews to ensure their website and the websites of their clients’ land in the overview. Ensuring content is authoritative, well-structured and informational in intent will encourage Google to pull this for the overview.

Staying ahead of these changes will be key for brands looking to maximise visibility, engagement and customer trust. If you’re looking for a digital marketing agency to help you remain one step ahead of your competitors, get in touch with a member of our team today. We are proud to be Google certified.