Google’s Latest Core Update: Why Trust and Media Matter

Google’s May 2026 Core Update is reinforcing the importance of trust, credibility, and helpful content in search results. Learn how recent changes to Google Search and Google Business Profiles are impacting online visibility and what businesses can do to stay competitive.

Google’s latest May 2026 Core Update, which began rolling out on May 21, is sending businesses a clear message: credibility, usefulness, and proof matter more than ever.

This is the second broad core update of 2026, but what makes this one especially significant is its timing. The update arrived alongside major changes to Google’s AI Search experience, including expanded AI Overviews. As a result, many businesses are facing what industry experts describe as a “double SERP disruption.”

Some websites are seeing traffic declines not because they were penalized, but because Google’s AI generated answers are increasingly answering questions before users ever click through to a website. At the same time, Google is recalibrating how content quality is evaluated across its search ecosystem. The takeaway is clear: publishing content alone is no longer enough. Businesses must demonstrate expertise, trust, and real world value across their entire digital presence.

 

Google Is Raising the Bar for Content Quality

As with previous core updates, Google continues refining how it evaluates content quality across the web. The May 2026 update appears to reinforce a stronger preference for content that is genuinely helpful, differentiated, and supported by real expertise.

Businesses gaining visibility tend to provide meaningful information, demonstrate industry knowledge, and show clear proof of their authority. Strong service pages, authentic customer experiences, and content that delivers unique insight are becoming increasingly important. Meanwhile, generic AI generated articles, thin directory style pages, and content built primarily to rank without offering real value may find it harder to compete.

Google’s message is becoming harder to ignore: businesses must show expertise, not simply claim it.

The New Search Reality: Rankings Are Not the Only Challenge

One of the biggest takeaways from the May 2026 Core Update is that businesses need to rethink how they define SEO success. Visibility today is no longer just about where your website ranks.

Businesses are now competing in a search environment where AI Overviews may answer questions before users click, where search behavior is shifting directly inside Google’s results pages, and where trust signals increasingly influence visibility. Your website, reviews, content, Google Business Profile, and overall digital presence can no longer operate as separate pieces of your marketing strategy.

Google is increasingly evaluating your overall digital credibility. That trend becomes even clearer when you look at one of Google’s recent updates to Google Business Profiles.

Google Is Practically Screaming: “Media Matters”

Google Business Profiles now display view counts on photos and videos inside the media section. At first glance, that may seem like a minor feature update. In reality, it is a strong indicator of where Google’s priorities are moving.

Google would not invest time building engagement tracking around media if photos and videos were not becoming increasingly important to local visibility, customer trust, and purchasing decisions.

Think about the customer experience. If someone searches for your business and finds outdated photos from years ago, poor quality images, or little evidence of recent activity, confidence can drop quickly. On the other hand, a profile filled with fresh photos, customer images, videos of your team at work, completed projects, and signs of ongoing activity creates an entirely different impression.

Your Google Business Profile is evolving into something much closer to a social profile for your business. The difference is that instead of chasing likes or followers, you are building confidence with potential customers who are actively searching for solutions.

Why Media Matters More Than Ever for Local SEO

Many businesses still treat their Google Business Profile like a one time setup task. That approach is becoming increasingly outdated.

Fresh photos and videos help reinforce several important signals that influence customer perception and online visibility. They demonstrate authenticity by showing that your business is active and serving real customers. They improve buyer confidence by giving people a clearer picture of what they can expect before they ever visit your website. They also create a competitive advantage because many businesses still neglect ongoing profile management.

Google’s new photo and video view counts suggest that engagement around media may become increasingly meaningful moving forward. Whether or not those metrics directly influence rankings, they clearly reflect Google’s growing interest in media rich business profiles.

What Businesses Should Do Right Now

The good news is that businesses do not need expensive equipment or professionally produced videos to compete here. Customers are not expecting Hollywood production quality. They are looking for authenticity, activity, and proof.

Businesses should be consistently uploading fresh photos of their team, projects, products, workspace, completed jobs, and company activity. Short smartphone videos can be incredibly effective for demonstrating services, answering common questions, or showcasing behind the scenes moments. Encouraging customers to share their own photos can also provide powerful third party proof that reinforces trust.

Most importantly, businesses should start treating their Google Business Profile as an active marketing channel rather than a passive online listing.

There Are No Quick Fixes

Google’s own guidance on core updates continues to emphasize an important point: major algorithm changes are rarely about a single issue or quick technical fix.

If traffic or rankings shift, it does not necessarily mean your website was targeted. In many cases, Google is reassessing competitor content, search intent, user expectations, and what it believes delivers the most helpful experience.

The businesses that adapt successfully tend to focus on improving overall quality, credibility, expertise, and customer value over time rather than chasing shortcuts.

The Bottom Line: Google Wants Proof, Not Just Promises

At Advertising is Simple, we help businesses strengthen their online visibility through SEO, website improvements, Google Business Profile management, content, and digital marketing strategies that build trust and credibility. As Google continues evolving, businesses that stay active, helpful, and authentic will be better positioned to stand out. 

The takeaway is simple: do not just tell Google your business is trustworthy. Show it.