June brings a big slam for AI generated content, as the latest Core Algorithm Update shakes things up. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has given websites the power to remove themselves from Google’s AI summaries in UK search results, and will make Google provide greater transparency around how rankings work.
Elsewhere, the sunset of Dynamic Search Ads has been pushed back to February 2027, and the UK joins the list of countries introducing a social media ban for under 16s.
SEO
1. The latest Core Algorithm Update wrapped up
The May Core Algorithm Update officially came to an end on the 2nd of June after beginning on the 21st of May, and it looks to be one of the most significant updates in years. Taking place a mere 43 days after the previous update in March, data from industry sensors showed key losses across aggregator sites, e-commerce sites using manufacturer descriptions, affiliate review sites, and location based pages without unique content.
The winners were brands with unique content, first-party sources demonstrating expertise and topical authority, and those with crystal clear E-E-A-T signals. All signs point towards the hammer coming down on AI slop, and unique, meaningful content being rewarded. Those cheap and dirty gains that LinkedIn ‘GEO gurus’ have been promising website owners if they follow their 10-step guide to AI domination aren’t looking so shiny anymore.
Source: Sistrix
2. Another spam update hits the SERP
Google released a new spam update, rolling out over two short days (June 24th to 26th). There’s nothing new to note here – spam updates generally target the same things, tightening up the screws on low-quality content and black hat tactics like:
- Content produced at scale with no real value
- Link spam
- Thin or scraped content
- Hidden text and keyword stuffing
If you play by the rules, you shouldn’t be affected by these updates. If you have seen a direct impact to your visibility that coincides with these dates, it’s time to get some SEO experts on your side.
Source: Search Engine Journal
3. Google Business Profiles updates
Google is tearing down old native Google Business Profile features and bringing in new changes. If you’re a website owner that has a local presence, pay attention.
Out with the old chat, in with Gemini
Google is quietly killing off its native Google Business Profile chat and call history features. Instead, merchants are being pushed towards Gemini powered AI assistants. You’ll no longer be able to rely on Google’s basic messaging system. Instead, Gemini will use your business details to automatically handle customer conversations directly within Maps and Search. One to watch to make sure it gives accurate information, and makes it more important than ever to ensure your profile’s details are up to date.
We’re finally going to be seeing GMB data in GA4
Google is tying Google Business Profiles directly into the Google Merchant Centre and Google Analytics ecosystem – something that has been a long time coming. Data will be synced, and a new Google Business Profile collection will start appearing in GA4 reports.
Sources: Google Support, Google: The Keyword
4. Google get a slap on the wrist from the CMA
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have stepped in to try and level the playing field, smacking Google with binding conduct requirements related to algorithm updates and AI Overviews. Some of the key pieces of this legislation include:
- Google will be forced to give content creators control over their visibility in AI search
- Google will have to provide greater transparency around how rankings work, and ensure they rank websites based on truly objective, non-discriminatory criteria
- They are legally required to ensure publisher content is attributed directly and clearly in AI features
- They will also have to build a clear and effective process for UK businesses to raise formal complaints about how they are being ranked
We’ll be interested to see how this plays out in reality.
Source: Gov.uk, The Guardian
Digital PR
1. Local press titles affected by Google algorithm update
Changes to the Google algorithm over the past year have caused a 19% drop in monthly traffic for all 75 of the UK’s top local news sites, including Leicestershire Live, Leeds Live and Surrey Live. Only 16 of those 75 sites have seen any growth at all from April 2025 to April 2026, and Reach PLC was found to be hit the worst, with 31 of its 35 local titles losing audience engagement.
Lower traffic means less ad revenue for these papers, so expect them to push harder for sponsorships, affiliate links, or paid coverage to plug the gap. It is still worth targeting these local sites for your PR campaigns, but don’t be surprised if you see lower reach and less referral traffic than before.
Source: Press Gazette
2. UK publishers can now block AI
As mentioned above, the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has ruled that UK media websites can now block Google Gemini from using their articles in AI search results and it’s not just affecting SEO. The move comes as part of a wider effort by the CMA to curb Google’s growing monopoly over the news and search industry.
If a publisher opts out, this could mean securing a link/coverage on their site might not provide as much value for a brand’s LLM strategy; AI search tracking is a moving target. If top sources close their doors, classic domain authority becomes even more critical.
This keeps the search ecosystem fair. We track these changes daily to ensure your brand stays visible in both traditional search results and new AI features. It’s time to keep an eye on the way the media swings, just because they can block Gemini does it mean they will?
Source: GOV.UK
3. Over 500 jobs lost at the BBC
The BBC is cutting 550 jobs from its TV, radio, and other broadcasting teams, part of a larger plan to save the broadcaster £500m over the next two years. While this focuses on broadcast media, it reflects a shrinking pool of UK journalists across the board.
Fewer reporters mean busier inboxes and tighter deadlines, something we’ve already been experiencing since the mass Reach PLC layoffs in 2025. The pressure on remaining journalists means that if a pitch isn’t perfect, hyper-relevant, and ready to publish immediately, it won’t make the cut. Newsroom cuts mean journalists need trustworthy external help. To keep campaign success rates high, aim to give journalists flawless, unique data that saves them time.
Source: Press Gazette
4. City AM Editor slams ‘AI Slop’ PR pitches
City AM Editor-in-Chief Christian May has criticised PR agencies for flooding his inbox with automated, low-quality “AI slop”. He warned that AI-generated pitches are incredibly obvious and waste journalists’ time, even saying the publication is now close to “naming and shaming” agencies that send these lazy pitches.
Protect your reputation. If you or your PR agency cuts corners with mass AI-generated emails, your brand risks getting blacklisted – genuine angles and original data are mandatory to secure top-tier coverage.
Lazy PR hurts the wider industry. It’s one thing to enlist AI when it comes to certain grunt tasks like crunching heavy data, but keep creative strategies and pitches entirely human-led. That makes sure editors actually open the emails.
Source: PR Week UK
PPC
1. It’s now easier to make Performance Max focus on net new customers
Until now, unless you’ve been wise to its tricks, Performance Max has been guilty of cannibalising existing brand traffic and retargeting current customers instead of delivering actual growth. But in June, Google announced this: “You can now exclude specific customer lists from your Performance Max campaigns, and target the right customers for your business goals. For example, this can help your budget focus on acquiring new customers rather than re-engaging those who have already converted.”
Dark Horse have been using New User audience lists for around a year now to create new customer campaigns separate from all others, so the focus is purely on new customers. Typically these campaigns generate lower ROAS and conversion performance, but New Customer stats increase a great deal. This change means New Customer lists are now more efficient in excluding users who visit via social channels so the budget can fully focus on New Customer interaction. We can now also add exact customer lists to campaigns so that campaigns do not re-engage with previous converters, and focus on growing the business’s customer base.
Source: Search Engine Land
2. Open AI Says ChatGPT ad dismissals have dropped 50%
Still in its early days, ChatGPT ads have been working to improve their relevancy and have reported a 50% drop in ad dismissals. OpenAI Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser attributed this drop to improved ad placement and high relevance, aligning commercial content directly with what the user is actively trying to accomplish or learn. It’s a strong sign that conversational, AI-driven advertising is gaining genuine traction and isn’t just a temporary novelty or a nuisance to users. Unlike interruptive display banners, ChatGPT ads are catching consumers precisely when they are in problem-solving or research modes, creating an opportunity for hyper-targeted, useful placements.
This is still an incredibly new channel, and Dark Horse are testing it thoroughly. Be mindful of anyone who says they can bring you miracles, or guarantee any performance, through ChatGPT ads just yet.
Source: Search Engine Land
3. Google tests Strongest Match labels
Google has quietly begun a limited live experiment in the U.S. that adds visual “Strongest match” or “Strong match” badges directly onto select text ads in Search results. According to Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin, these new visual labels don’t change how ads are ranked but instead pull from Google’s existing backend quality and relevance scores to show users which ad perfectly fits their search intent.
For now, it’s still in the early stages of roll out, but we may see them act as a massive trust signal for searchers. Ads featuring the badge will likely see a surge in CTR while adjacent ads without it could be easily overlooked. By visually endorsing certain sponsored results, Google is trying to prove the usefulness of its ads in an era where consumers are increasingly moving toward ad-free or conversational AI search alternatives.
Source: Search Engine Land
4. Google updates AI Max reporting guidance & DSA transition plans
Google updated its documentation to announce that all campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads will be automatically upgraded to AI Max for Search starting in February 2027, and opposed to the 2026 timeframe previously shared. To help advertisers manage this shift, Google rolled out new reporting views that allow marketers to break down search terms and landing page performance, specifically comparing AI Max data against legacy DSA data.
Dark Horse have already started to make the changes to DSA campaigns for the AI Max transition, which was originally supposed to happen in September – we are well prepared. Updating now however will mean that Google will not auto swap to AI Max in February when everyone else is doing the same, giving us time to iIron out any creases early.
Source: Search Engine Land
Paid Social
1. UK unveils sweeping social media ban for users under 16
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the UK government will ban social media use for children under 16, covering platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, with the government targeting implementation by next Spring. The UK joins a growing list of countries moving to protect children online, following Australia’s ban last year and similar efforts underway in Canada, France and Denmark, and more than 83% of parents who took part in the UK’s consultation said social media’s risks outweigh its benefits. Starmer argued that platforms use addictive design features like infinite scroll, and that social media takes time away from activities like sleep, reading and playing outside – though experts have questioned whether a blanket ban would actually be enforceable.
If under-16s are locked out of Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and X by next spring, any campaigns currently targeting or reaching that age bracket in the UK (gaming, fast fashion, edtech, family/youth brands) lose that segment entirely – budgets and creative will need to shift toward 16+ audiences. Building robust age-verification at this scale is expensive – meaning Paid Social teams should watch for changes to CPMs, CPCs, and content policies. With a public consultation showing strong parental support for restrictions, brands may also face reputational pressure to be seen as proactively child-safe in their UK social strategy – meaning Paid Social managers should review messaging and platform mix now, rather than risk appearing tone-deaf once the ban takes effect next Spring.
Source: TechCrunch
2. Meta outlines best practices for AI-generated multimedia ads
Meta has released guidance on its new AI-powered multi-media ads, which let advertisers upload up to 10 images and videos (in a mix of formats and aspect ratios) into a single ad set, so Meta’s AI can generate multiple variants automatically and serve the best version for each placement and audience. The new workflow removes the need to build separate ads for different placements or audiences – advertisers upload all assets at once, and Meta’s delivery system handles cropping, formatting, and placement automatically, though manual adjustments to cropping, text, destination URL and placement are still available.
Meta says the more creative inputs an advertiser provides, the more options its delivery system has to optimise performance. The company has pointed to a 25% increase in average ad revenue since 2022, which it largely credits to AI-driven improvements in ad serving. This shifts a chunk of creative decision-making from the media buyer to Meta’s algorithm, so Paid Social managers may need to focus less on manual placement-by-placement builds and more on feeding the system a wide, varied pool of assets to let automation do the optimising.
Reporting and attribution could get complicated, since a single ad set now spans multiple auto-generated variants across placements. Teams may need to lean harder on Meta’s own variant-level reporting to understand which specific creative is actually driving performance. Creative production workflows will likely need to adapt to supply Meta with enough raw material (multiple images/videos, aspect ratios, formats) up front, which could mean closer collaboration between Paid Social and Design/Content teams earlier in the campaign-build process.
Source: Social Media Today
3. Meta launches integrated booking for lead generation ads
Meta has launched embedded appointment booking for Facebook lead ads, integrating third-party scheduling platforms directly into the ad so prospects can book a time immediately after submitting their details, with form fields pre-filled to reduce friction. Setup requires no coding. Advertisers paste a scheduling link, select “book time” as the call to action, and Meta auto-detects the calendar provider. It currently supports Calendly and HighLevel, with HubSpot support coming in August. The feature is Facebook-only for now, with global availability expected in October.
This could meaningfully lift lead-to-booking conversion rates for service-based advertisers such as clinics, agencies, consultants, and fitness studios, so paid social managers running lead gen campaigns should test the new CTA against their existing flow rather than assuming current benchmarks still apply. Funnel and attribution setups may need rework, since bookings now happen inside the ad experience rather than on a separate landing page. Teams reliant on landing page tracking or CRM handoffs for lead scoring will need to confirm how this booking step passes data back into their existing tracking and reporting stack.
Because of the controlled roll-out, Paid Social managers using as-of-yet unsupported scheduling tools or running primarily on Instagram should hold off on rebuilding lead funnels around this just yet, and instead flag it as a near term roadmap item to revisit once broader support rolls out.
Source: Social Media Today
4. Meta launches advanced AI ad features
Meta introduced a new creative testing tool in Ads Manager, currently rolling out to select advertisers, that generates AI ad creative matched to a brand’s existing style and tone by referencing its past ads and posts, while also surfacing broader performance trends across each app. It is also rolling out enhanced text generation tools, including headline and caption generation, expanded language translation, and a more streamlined creative approval flow that gives advertisers faster feedback on creative changes.
Since the new creative tool generates suggestions based on a brand’s own past ads and posts, Paid Social managers will want to make sure their historical creative library is clean, on brand, and well tagged, since the quality of what gets fed in will shape the quality of what the AI generates and recommends. **** in, **** out. With Meta publishing strong average ROAS figures tied to its AI improvements, paid social managers should expect more pressure internally to justify any manual or non AI driven campaign approaches, and may want to proactively run controlled tests comparing AI assisted setups against manual builds to have their own data ready for those conversations.
Source: Social Media Today
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