Google Updates May 2026: Core Update wrapped up, search profiles launched

After roughly twelve days, Google declared the May 2026 Core Update complete on June 2. It was the second major broad core update of the year, following the March 2026 Core Update. The rollout was anything but quiet: especially on May 30 and around the official wrap-up, SEO tools like the Semrush Sensor showed strong volatility spikes once again.

What does that mean in practice?

If you noticed drops or gains, now’s the time to start analyzing. A reliable point of reference is June 9, 2026, about a week after the rollout ended, once the Search Console data has stabilized.

Google’s official statement stays as brief as ever: the update is meant to surface more relevant and satisfying content for users. Anyone who consistently focuses on content quality and user experience is structurally on the right side of things.

There was more movement around the core update too: Google clarified that its spam policies also apply to AI-generated search results and explicitly warned against buying or manipulating citations in AI results.

Learn more about past Google updates in our eo:magazine.

Google Search Profiles: New visibility for publishers and creators

At the same time, Google is launching a feature that’s especially exciting for content creators: Search Profiles. The new profiles give publishers and creators a central, linkable place to showcase their latest articles, videos, and social posts. Users can follow sources directly via the profile and will then see their content more often in the Discover feed.

The profiles can be reached through the Knowledge Panel, by tapping a creator name in Discover, or via a direct URL, and they can be customized with an avatar, bio, website, and social media links.

For now, Search Profiles are limited to the US and only available to eligible publishers. An international rollout is planned. The feature doesn’t promise any direct impact on classic rankings, but more presence in the Discover feed is a real plus for many sites.

Our tip: analyze, adapt, stay on it

The core update is done and the data is stabilizing. Now is the right moment for an honest stocktake in Search Console. And if you’re a publisher who doesn’t have Search Profiles on your radar yet, it’s time to change that: Google is steadily building an AI-shaped search landscape, where visibility is being renegotiated.