Welcome to Pulse of the Week: Updates changing what you can measure in Search Console, how to describe products in markup, and what John Mueller thinks about building for AI agents.
Here you will find out what is important for you and your work.
Search Console adds reports for social media and video posts
Google is introducing a new Search Console property type called Platform Properties that reports on the performance of your social media and video posts in Search and Discover.
Important facts:
The report covers Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube, even if you don’t have a website. Each platform offers three specific post reports. The performance report includes data on clicks, impressions, filtering and export options. Insights highlight current traffic and top posts, while achievements mark milestones like exceeding click thresholds over 28 days.
Why this is important
Previously, Search Console data was limited to verifiable websites. This update expands reporting to posts on Instagram, TikTok,
What SEO experts say:
The launch received a great response from people who work in search every day. SEO and AI search consultant Aleyda Solís argued that SEO now extends beyond your website in a post that garnered more than 350 reactions:
With this release, Google is making clear something that many in our industry still balk at: your SEO doesn’t start and end with Google or your website. Search discovery is fragmented and SEO is about optimizing where your audience searches for you.
SEO consultant Brodie Clark, who had early access to the earlier experiment, said the data proved useful ahead of wider rollout:
For the one site where I have access to the social channel experiment (for YouTube), I found the data particularly useful – so it’s great to see this now becoming official!
Technical SEO manager Simone De Palma welcomed it, but wants the data in the API and pipelines, not just the interface:
This is a good initiative, but I would like to see it reflected in the API and data pipelines.
Read our full coverage: Google Search Console adds reporting for social media posts
Google is updating its structured data documents for merchant listings
Google has updated its structured data documents for merchant listings in two places: once to specify a product category and once to signal a sales price.
Important facts:
Two updates to note: Google now provides documentation for a “Category” property in merchant listing markup that explains how to specify the start and end of a sales price. Its use is recommended, but not mandatory.
Why this is important
The Category property provides a convenient way to specify a product’s classification at the page level and complements the existing product_type and google_product_category attributes from your Merchant Center feed.
If a plugin creates your markup, check whether it already supports Google’s category property and selling price recommendations. If this is not the case, nothing will break. Therefore, treat this as a line item for your next markup review.
Read our full coverage: Google’s new structured data for merchant listings improves SEO
Mueller says: Don’t create separate Markdown pages for AI
Search advocate John Mueller bucked the trend of mirroring HTML pages with Markdown versions designed for AI agents, responding to a Bluesky post about website accessibility for machines.
Important facts:
The discussion began with a post highlighting that some websites now offer a text version for LLMs, but still neglect key accessibility aspects such as proper heading structure and landmarks used by screen reader users. Mueller responded that a well-designed website inherently works for AI agents, search engines, LLMs and, most importantly, humans. Adding a separate, agent-friendly version can create technical debt that will eventually require redevelopment.
Why this is important
Mueller’s answer warns against creating a second, machine-oriented version of your website. His point is that separate copy becomes a technical debt that you have to maintain, while a well-structured HTML page already serves search engines, LLMs and people at the same time.
Consider Markdown mirrors and llms.txt files for your roadmap rather than simply fixing the HTML you already have before investing time. Mueller and Martin Splitt made the same case back in June, warning that a parallel version of Markdown was another thing that needed to be maintained and that a broken machine-only page would have no user to report it.
Read our full coverage: Google on using Markdown for AI SEO
According to Google, search reached record usage during the World Cup
According to Google, searches saw the highest usage on record during Argentina’s comeback win over Egypt at the World Cup.
Important facts:
Google’s Nick Fox shared this on X, although he didn’t provide published numbers or a detailed blog post. The claim links the peak to a single live event rather than a consistent trend.
Why this is important
At large live events like a World Cup comeback, election night, or break NewsPeople Continue to contact Google for real-time updates. The habit of turning to search first when the stakes are high and the clock is ticking hasn’t changed. Live moments are still won in search
Read our full coverage: According to Google, search usage reached an all-time high during the World Cup
Topic of the week: More interfaces, a website to maintain
Each update this week adds a place to measure or describe your content while referencing the same source.
Google has integrated social media and video posts into Search Console, so content available on Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube now appears in the Search and Discover reports. The new category documents give your product pages the ability to specify their own classification at the page level. Mueller’s response to Markdown goes in the other direction, arguing against a second machine-only version of your site and in favor of a well-built site that serves humans and machines simultaneously.
The number of places your content appears is constantly increasing, but what you maintain is not. This week is about measuring and marking an accurate version of your website, not about creating parallel copies for every reader, human or machine.
Top stories of the week:
Additional resources:
Featured Image: Prostock Studio/Shutterstock
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