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The Brief · Issue 09-30-2026

Spam update plus AI spam detector, GSC multimodal data, ChatGPT ads scale

Two big shifts this week. Google shipped its September 2026 spam update globally, and reporting ties it to a newly deployed AI-content spam detector called SAFE, meaning scaled machine-written content is now an explicit enforcement target rather than a policy footnote. Separately, Search Console added multimodal (image-search) performance reporting while AI Overviews continue routing clicks through AI Mode instead of the open web. On the paid side, Comscore data shows ChatGPT ads climbing in retail categories, led by gaming, and Google quietly added an AI Max reporting feature plus broader AI Brief language support. Lifesight open-sourced its MMM forecasting engine, and California's SB-690 compromise kept CIPA's private right of action mostly intact. Recalculate how you attribute AI-surface traffic: with GSC block-flattening and AI Mode redirect links muddying query and position data, shift reporting weight toward sessions and conversions, and audit content velocity against the SAFE-tied spam update before the rollout finishes.
Published
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Entries
12
Cadence
Weekly · Sundays
Curator
Patrick Scott
Wire
developers.google.comSearch Central announces new structured data type for Q&A pages·
searchenginejournal.comAI Overviews now triggering on B2B query patterns it ignored last quarter·
adexchanger.comMajor holding co consolidates programmatic bidding across two DSPs·
simoahava.comServer-side GTM gets a new consent-mode behavior worth auditing·
blog.googlePerformance Max adds reporting for new conversion-value rules·
digiday.comCookieless attribution test results from a Top-50 advertiser·
marketingaiinstitute.comNew AI ad-creative tool benchmarked against Performance Max·
adweek.comAgency-of-record review at a Fortune 100 retailer with AI-RFP requirements·
developers.google.comSearch Central announces new structured data type for Q&A pages·
searchenginejournal.comAI Overviews now triggering on B2B query patterns it ignored last quarter·
adexchanger.comMajor holding co consolidates programmatic bidding across two DSPs·
simoahava.comServer-side GTM gets a new consent-mode behavior worth auditing·
blog.googlePerformance Max adds reporting for new conversion-value rules·
digiday.comCookieless attribution test results from a Top-50 advertiser·
marketingaiinstitute.comNew AI ad-creative tool benchmarked against Performance Max·
adweek.comAgency-of-record review at a Fortune 100 retailer with AI-RFP requirements·
02

SEO & Search

algo updates · schema · technical seo · behavior shifts

searchenginejournal.com3dorganic
▲ headline

Google Rolls Out September 2026 Spam Update Globally

Google began rolling out its September 2026 spam update worldwide on September 24, with full deployment expected to take up to two weeks. It's the second spam-focused update of the year and affects all languages and regions.

Google SearchGoogle Search Console
Patrick's take

Pull your rankings and indexing logs now to baseline pre-update positions. Sites that leaned on scaled AI content generation this year should expect volatility and have a remediation list ready before the rollout completes.

developers.google.comthis weekorganic

Search Console Adds Web Multimodal Search Performance Reporting

Google announced web multimodal performance reporting in Search Console, adding a filter that surfaces traffic from image-based searches. Coverage is page-level with no query data, per SEJ's companion coverage.

Google Search ConsoleGoogle Images
Patrick's take

For clients with strong visual assets (retail, travel, airports), this is the first measurable window into image search demand. Pull the multimodal filter against your top landing pages and see which image-optimized templates are carrying traffic you couldn't see before.

03

Paid & Programmatic

performance max · advantage+ · attribution · ad-tech

blog.googlethis weekpaid

Google Adds AI Max Reporting Feature, Expands AI Brief Languages

Google announced a new AI Max reporting feature plus AI Brief availability in more languages for AI Max campaigns. The reporting addition gives advertisers visibility they've lacked on how AI Max expands and matches queries.

Google Ads
Patrick's take

Turn on the new AI Max reporting before scaling spend in those campaigns. Historically, AI-driven matching in Google Ads needed manual search-term policing; use the report to confirm the match quality before budget shifts compound.

04

Content & Creative

ai content · video · image · copywriting workflows

no entries this week

05

Analytics & Attribution

measurement · server-side · ga4 · privacy · mmm

adexchanger.com3dcross-channel

Lifesight Open-Sources Its MMM Forecasting Engine

Marketing measurement vendor Lifesight open-sourced its forecasting engine, which combines MMM, incrementality testing, and attribution and is built to answer 'what should I do next' rather than only 'what happened.' Lowering the cost of MMM tooling matters for mid-market teams priced out of commercial models.

Patrick's take

If MMM has been on the roadmap but out of budget range, this changes the build-versus-buy math. Vet the open-source engine against your data granularity before committing; open source removes license cost, not the data-engineering lift.

adexchanger.com3dcross-channel

California SB-690 Compromise Keeps CIPA Private Right Of Action Mostly Intact

California's legislature passed the compromise version of SB-690, leaving most CIPA private-right-of-action provisions in place after heavy Big Tech lobbying blocked similar laws in other states. Wiretapping-style claims over tracking technologies remain a live legal risk for ad ops.

Patrick's take

Session-replay and chat pixels on sites serving California residents remain the highest-exposure CIPA surface. If your client audits flagged these in 2025 and nothing shipped, move them up the sprint queue now.

06

Industry & Platforms

martech moves · holding co · m&a · regulatory

digiday.comthis weekpaid

Publishers Score Google's Ad Tech Remedies: Progress, Not A Clean Win

Publishers assess the DOJ-mandated Google ad tech remedies as meaningful but incomplete, with operational details still capping the competitive benefit. Ad-ecosystem power dynamics are shifting incrementally rather than structurally.

Google Ad Manager
Patrick's take

Don't re-architect your stack around the remedies yet. But do re-run header bidding and mediation comparisons this quarter; the margin math for publishers using Google's full stack is finally worth re-checking.