February 2026 Google Webmaster Report
Welcome to the Google Webmaster report, where I sum up all the more important Google organic search topics that occurred over the past month – just in case you (or I) missed it. January was an incredibly volatile month regarding unconfirmed Google search ranking movement. I posted about it several times.
Google Vastly Increases Local Pack Ads Placement
Google seems to be showing more and more ads in the local pack, aka Local Pack Ads. Just a couple of months ago, Google had ads on the local pack for less than 3% of tracked keywords; now it’s up to about 22% of tracked keywords.
Google Ads Replacing Support Form With AI Agent
Google seems to be replacing its Google Ads support form with an AI agent, maybe from its Ads Advisor system. When you go to support.google.com/google-ads/gethelp you are redirected to the chat experience now. I am not sure if this is global, but I am seeing this myself across two Google Ads accounts I have access […]
Google Search Console Adding AI Visibility Reporting?
John Mueller from Google dropped a very John-like hint that maybe, just maybe, Google Search Console will add AI visibility reporting. John was asked about it again and responded, saying, “While I have nothing to announce, I can say for sure that very few things online are permanent.”
OpenAI Prepares ChatGPT Code To Allow Ads?
If you look at the source code in some of the responses OpenAI’s ChatGPT gives you, you may now see references to ads. The response in the source code says, “InReply to user query using the following additional context of ads shown to the user.”
Google On Recent Google Search Ranking Volatility – No Insights To Share
As you know, January was an incredibly intense month of Google Search ranking volatility. It surprised me that Google has still not confirmed that a Google search ranking update took place. Now, John Mueller of Google was asked about it and said, “Unfortunately, I don’t have any insights / updates to share.”
DynoWiper update: Technical analysis and attribution
ESET researchers present technical details on a recent data destruction incident affecting a company in Poland’s energy sector
This month in security with Tony Anscombe – January 2026 edition
The trends that emerged in January offer useful clues about the risks and priorities that security teams are likely to contend with throughout the year
This Entry-Level Roborock Robot Vacuum Is 44% Off Right Now
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Robot vacuums can get expensive quickly, especially as you move into models with features such as self-emptying bins and hot-water mopping. But if you’re looking to dip your toe into this world without dropping […]
10 Hacks Every Nintendo Switch (or Switch 2) Owner Should Know
We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2 are pretty user-friendly devices, but sometimes, that can be a bit more of a hindrance than a help. It’s easy to jump right into a game, but if you want to toggle on a feature like dark mode […]
Nine Phone Settings to Change Before Attending a Protest
Before you head out to a protest, take some precautions to protect your privacy and both the physical and digital security of any device you bring along. The most secure option, of course, is to leave your phone at home, but you can also lock things down to minimize the risk that your data will […]
You May Be Eligible for Part of This $10.5 Million Spam Text Settlement
Unsolicited texts are annoying—and even more so if they keep coming from a legitimate sender after you’ve opted out. If you received text spam from Kaiser Permanente, you may be eligible for a cash payout for each message. The healthcare company, which serves over 12.5 million members, recently settled a $10.5 million class action lawsuit […]
How to Choose the Right Backup Generator for Your Home
We may earn a commission from links on this page. The U.S. power grid is suffering more outages than ever—about 45% of utility customers experienced one in the first half of 2025—and the resultant blackouts are lasting longer. As our aging electrical grid struggles to keep up with increasing air conditioner use due to a […]
‘Moltbook’ Is a Social Media Platform for AI Bots to Chat With Each Other
The headlining story in AI news this week was Moltbot (formerly Clawbot), a personal AI assistant that performs tasks on your behalf. The catch? You need to give it total control of your computer, which poses some serious privacy and security risks. Still, many AI enthusiasts are installing Moltbot on their Mac minis (the device […]
OpenAI Is Killing ChatGPT-4o (Again)
https://enterprise.shutterstock.com/image-photo/openai-logo-displayed-on-smartphone-screen-2520388517 or https://enterprise.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chatgpt-logo-displayed-on-smartphone-screen-2520385879 Last August, ChatGPT developers OpenAI unceremoniously killed the fan favorite GPT-4o model, before giving in to complaints and bringing it back a week later. Now, the company’s taking a second swing at getting its users to move on. In a new post to its website, OpenAI announced that it’s retiring GPT-4o again. […]
