Google is moving its JSON files listing IP ranges from /search/apis/ipranges/ to a more general location at /crawling/ipranges/ on developers.google.com. The files will remain accessible at the old path temporarily, but users are encouraged to switch to the new location soon. The old URLs will be phased out and redirected within six months.
Run an automated Google Ads audit directly from Google Sheets with 40+ built-in checks. Review campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads, and account settings to catch missed best practices and optimization gaps. Ideal for agencies and in-house teams to standardize audits, save hours of manual work, and turn findings into clear, actionable recommendations.
Googlebot is part of a centralized crawling platform for various Google products, not a single crawler. It fetches up to 2MB per URL (64MB for PDFs), including headers, ignoring bytes beyond this limit. Linked resources are fetched separately with their own limits. The Web Rendering Service processes fetched bytes, running JavaScript and CSS but works statelessly. To optimize, keep HTML lean, place key elements early, and monitor server response times.
Google Maps launches Ask Maps, a conversational tool using Gemini models to answer detailed local queries and personalize suggestions from community reviews. It simplifies trip planning and bookings. The update also features Immersive Navigation with 3D visuals, natural voice guidance, route options, and parking info, improving driving ease and safety. Available now in the U.S. and India on mobile, with desktop and wider device support coming soon.
The branded queries filter in Search Console is now available to all eligible sites, helping analyze traffic by distinguishing branded from non-branded queries. Available since Feb 21, it works well compared to custom regex filters. Testing on large sites showed mixed accuracy, with AI sometimes excelling and other times missing. Google plans to improve accuracy, making it a useful SEO tool already.
Microsoft Clarity introduces AI Citations (beta), offering end-to-end visibility of how content is cited in AI-generated answers and drives AI-referred traffic. It unifies signals from Bing Webmaster Tools and Clarity, showing citation activity, query volume, and page citations. This helps brands understand their influence in AI answers, optimize content, and monitor AI visibility trends. Access is by invitation.
Google's Search Console now offers an AI-powered configuration feature in its Performance report, letting users describe their analysis in natural language. It applies filters, sets comparisons, and selects metrics like Clicks and Impressions, simplifying data analysis. It supports only Search results reports, may misinterpret requests, so users should verify filters. It cannot sort or export data and is rolling out gradually.
Google Chrome introduces WebMCP, a new standard to enable faster, more reliable AI interactions on websites by exposing structured tools. It offers two APIs: Declarative for standard HTML actions and Imperative for complex JavaScript tasks. WebMCP enhances agent workflows in areas like customer support, ecommerce, and travel by allowing precise, automated actions. An early preview program is available for prototyping.
Bing Webmaster Tools launched AI Performance reporting to show how often and where publisher content is cited in AI-generated answers on Bing and partners. The dashboard tracks citations, cited pages, queries, and trends, helping publishers optimize content clarity, structure, and freshness. IndexNow supports timely updates. Local businesses can improve AI visibility via Bing Places. This tool promotes transparency and collaboration as AI search evolves.
Google now uses the Gemini 3 model globally for AI Overviews in Search, improving responses for complex questions on the results page. Users can easily continue conversations with AI Mode for follow-ups, creating a smooth experience that offers quick answers and deeper exploration. This update aims to make searching more natural and helpful, especially on mobile devices worldwide.