Teigh Talks: A season of gratitude and golden afternoons

November might be my favorite month in Arizona. The heat has finally let go, the afternoons turn golden, and it's the kind of weather that makes you want to be outside. If you've been waiting all year for a good day to sit on the patio, this is your month.

It's also the season of gratitude, and I want to start there. If you run a small business, you carry a lot. You answer the phone, do the work, chase the invoices and still find time to show up for your customers. That deserves a moment of credit before the holidays pick up speed.

Here's my encouragement for this month: before the rush, take an hour to make sure customers can actually find you. Check your holiday hours. Make sure your website loads securely. Thank the people who left you a review. None of it is flashy, but it's the kind of care that turns a first-time customer into a regular.

This issue has a little bit of everything. Chrome is now warning people before they open sites without a secure connection, Google gave restaurants more control over ordering, and the AI tools kept moving. I've pulled out what matters for a small business and left the rest. Pour something warm and let's get into it.

Chrome now warns before opening sites without HTTPS

On October 21, 2026, Google turned on Chrome's "Always Use Secure Connections" setting by default for all users. Chrome now asks permission before it opens a public website over an insecure HTTP connection, the old, unencrypted way of loading pages. It asks on the first visit, then stays quiet for that site unless the person hasn't visited in two weeks. The setting had already been on for people using Safe Browsing's Enhanced Protection earlier in 2026 (Chrome Unboxed; Relevant Audience).

What it means for you: If your website address starts with http:// instead of https://, new visitors using Chrome may now see a warning before your page ever loads. That's a lost customer. Type your domain into Chrome and make sure it lands on https:// with no warning. Every site I build ships with automatic HTTPS, and it's part of what I check in website care and hosting.

Chrome 155 can now display JPEG XL images

Chrome 155, scheduled for its stable release on October 6, 2026, added support for decoding JPEG XL, a newer image format that supports progressive loading, wide color, HDR and animation. Chrome uses a decoder written in Rust, a programming language designed to avoid common memory security bugs (Chrome Platform Status; Ubunlog).

What it means for you: There's nothing you need to do today. It's a good reminder that image format and size are among the biggest reasons a small business site feels slow. Big photos straight off a phone can weigh down a page. My website speed page explains what gets measured and how lighter images help.

Chrome's autofill can now pull details from Gmail

On October 28, 2026, Google announced that Chrome's enhanced autofill can suggest details from a person's Gmail, such as order numbers, tracking information and flight bookings, while they fill out online forms. It's beginning to roll out in the U.S. for Gemini in Chrome users who have Personal Intelligence turned on, on desktop, Android and iOS (Google).

What it means for you: Browsers keep getting better at filling in forms for people, but only when the form is built cleanly. Clear labels like "Name," "Phone" and "Order number" help autofill do its job. If your contact or quote form is confusing, customers give up. Fill out your own form on your phone this month and see how it feels.

Restaurants can now control third-party ordering on their Business Profile

On October 28, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported that restaurants can now manage third-party ordering providers, such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart and Grubhub, one by one from their Google Business Profile dashboard, and turn them off fully or partially. The news came from a LinkedIn post by Lisa Landsman of Google (Search Engine Roundtable).

What it means for you: If you run a restaurant, check which ordering buttons show on your profile. You can now point hungry customers to the providers you actually want to use. It's one of those small settings that's worth five minutes, and it's the kind of thing I keep an eye on in Google Business Profile management.

Google is testing your posts higher on your Business Profile

In mid-October 2026, local search expert Ben Fisher spotted Google testing a higher spot for Google Posts on the local business panel in search results. Google moved posts to the bottom of that panel back in 2018. Fisher reported that the posts moved up for a while, then back down about three days later. Google hasn't confirmed it (Search Engine Roundtable).

What it means for you: It's only a test, but if posts get more visible, fresh ones will matter more. A short post about your holiday hours, a seasonal offer or a recent job keeps your profile looking active. I covered other October profile changes in this blog post.

A small study looked at opting out of Google's AI features

On October 30, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported on a small case study by SEO Cyrus Shepard. He used Search Console's controls to opt one site out of AI Overviews and AI Mode, then compared before and after. AI impressions dropped to zero, as expected, but regular organic clicks dropped during the opt-out too. Shepard called the study "admittedly small," and it wasn't a controlled test (Search Engine Roundtable).

What it means for you: One small study doesn't prove anything, but it lines up with what I said last month: think hard before you opt out. For most local businesses, showing up in AI answers is one more way to be found. My AI search page explains how I structure pages to improve those odds.

Gemini 4 Argon arrived in Google's AI Mode

On October 13, 2026, Google began rolling out its Gemini 4 Argon model in AI Mode in Search, globally, for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. It's also available to those subscribers in the Gemini app. Search Engine Roundtable noted that AI Mode answers using Argon include links (Search Engine Roundtable).

What it means for you: The AI answering your customers' questions keeps getting more capable, and it still cites websites. Pages that answer a real question clearly, up front, give it something worth linking to.

ChatGPT can now read and work in your Chrome tabs

On October 15, 2026, OpenAI announced an update to the ChatGPT extension for Chrome. In Chat mode, ChatGPT can read your open tabs and pull information from them. In Work mode, it can operate tabs to fill out forms, send messages, download files and group tabs. OpenAI said it's available for all ChatGPT plans (PPC Land).

What it means for you: Two things. First, it can save you time on chores like comparing supplier quotes across tabs. Review anything before it gets sent in your name. Second, AI assistants are starting to fill out forms on behalf of customers, so a simple, clearly labeled contact form matters more than ever.

Google opened Search and Gemini to more connected apps

On October 28, 2026, Google launched its Connected Apps Platform, which lets businesses and developers connect their apps to Google's AI experiences in Search and Gemini. Gemini already has more than 50 connected apps, and Search currently features apps including Instacart and Canva. The platform is in a preview for U.S. developers (TechCrunch; Google).

What it means for you: This one is mostly for bigger companies with their own apps. The direction is the takeaway: people are starting to get things done inside Google's AI instead of clicking around. If you use Gemini for your business, my post on Google's new Gemini tools for small business owners covers what's worth trying.

• Check your HTTPS. Open your website in Chrome and make sure the address starts with https:// and no warning appears. Try it on your phone too.
• Set your holiday hours. Add special hours to your Google Business Profile and your website now, before customers start searching for them.
• Post something seasonal. Add a fresh Google post about your holiday hours, a seasonal service or a recent job, along with a real photo.
• Say thank you. It's the season of gratitude. Reply to your recent reviews, good and not-so-good, with a short, genuine thank-you.
• Gear up for cooler weather. Hoodies, jackets and beanies with your logo make great team gifts. I embroider apparel you bring in for $25 per item (see embroidery), and Logo Loco has promotional products for customer thank-you gifts.

If Chrome's new warning has you wondering how your website is holding up, I'd be glad to take a look. I hand-code every site myself, with automatic HTTPS, light, fast pages and clean forms that work well for people and the browser. See how I build in custom website design, or catch up on the blog for more news like this. Call or text me at 480-550-2871, 24/7, or email support@logoloco.co for a no-obligation chat.