What's actually changing
For years, a local search like "plumber near me" worked the same way. You'd get a map, three businesses underneath it, and a list of websites below that. Get into those three spots and the phone rang.
Google is now putting AI into that picture in a few ways. AI Mode, the chat style search tab, answers local questions with its own short list of businesses. Google has also been testing AI versions of the map pack itself, and AI summaries inside business profiles on mobile. In each case, the AI picks who to mention and writes a little blurb about them.
Much of the testing so far has been in the US, and the UK often sees these changes a little later. That's the useful part. You've got time to get ready before it lands properly here.
What the early studies found
Two pieces of research this year give a good idea of where things are heading.
The first, from local SEO firm Sterling Sky, looked at Google's AI local packs. It found they showed only about 32% of the businesses a normal map pack would show across the same searches. They often listed two businesses instead of three, and some dropped the click to call button. In 88% of the 322 markets they checked, fewer businesses were visible.
The second, from Local SEO Data in June, ran the same searches in AI Mode and in the normal map pack across seven trades, including plumbers and heating engineers. 28.5% of the map pack businesses were missing from AI Mode for the same search. When they only compared the top three from each, the overlap fell to under half.
In plain terms, being in the map pack today doesn't mean you'll be in the AI results tomorrow. And there are fewer places to be.
One detail worth knowing: In that second study, plumbers who showed up only in AI Mode had far more reviews than plumbers who showed up only in the map pack. The median was 546 reviews against 125. For trades, review volume looks like a big part of how the AI chooses.
Why this matters more for trades
Most trade work starts with a local search. Someone has a leak, a broken boiler or a roof tile on the lawn, and they want someone nearby, fast. They're not reading ten websites. They're picking from whatever Google shows them first.
If that first list shrinks from three to two, and the AI decides which two, the gap between being shown and being invisible gets very sharp. That's why it's worth acting now, while it still feels optional.
How to stay in Google's AI local results
Nobody outside Google knows exactly how the AI picks businesses. But the studies, and Google's own guidance on local ranking, point to the same handful of things. The good news is that none of them are tricks. They're the basics, done properly.
1. Fill in every part of your Google Business Profile
The AI can only describe what it can see. Add every service you offer, not just your main one. List the areas you cover. Choose the right main category and add secondary ones. Upload real photos of your work and your van. Keep your opening hours right, including bank holidays. A half finished profile gives the AI less reason to pick you.
2. Get reviews steadily, and reply to them
For trades, this looks like the biggest lever. Ask every happy customer, every time, rather than chasing a burst of reviews once a year. A simple text with your review link after each job works well. Reply to them too, and mention the job where it's natural, like "glad the boiler's sorted". Those replies give the AI more detail about what you actually do.
3. Give each service its own page on your website
AI tools read your website to work out what you're good at. One page called "Services" with a long list doesn't tell them much. A proper page for boiler repairs, another for installs and another for power flushing makes it much easier for the AI to match you to the right search. I go into this in more detail in what a trade business website needs in 2026.
If you cover lots of towns, be careful with area pages. A few strong pages for places people actually search beats dozens of copies with the town name swapped. My post on local SEO for multi area businesses covers how to get this right.
4. Make your details match everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number should be exactly the same on your website, your Google profile and every directory you're listed on. If one site says "Ltd" and another doesn't, or you've moved and an old address is still floating around, it creates doubt. AI tools pull from lots of places at once, so mixed signals cost you more than they used to.
5. Answer the questions people actually ask
Do you charge a call out fee? Do you work weekends? Do you cover a certain town? Are you Gas Safe registered? Put the answers on your website in plain words, ideally in a short FAQ section on each service page. When someone asks AI Mode "which plumbers near me do free quotes", it needs somewhere to find that answer. Make it your site.
6. Get listed on trusted directories
Trade bodies and well known review sites act like references. Think Checkatrade, TrustMark, Which? Trusted Traders, or your own trade body. Make sure each listing is complete and your details match. Don't bother with hundreds of low quality directories. A handful of respected ones is worth far more.
What about your rankings?
One thing the Sterling Sky research flagged is easy to miss. Some businesses kept their normal map rankings but still got fewer calls, because the searches that brought in calls were being answered by AI results instead. So if your calls from Google have dipped and your rankings look fine, this might be why.
That's why it's worth tracking calls and enquiries, not just positions. If you're not sure where your leads are coming from, a proper local SEO setup should include that tracking from day one.
Should you lean on Google Ads instead?
Paid ads still sit at the top of many local searches, and they aren't picked by the AI in the same way. For a lot of trades, a small, well run Google Ads campaign is a sensible safety net while local results settle down. But it's not a replacement. Ads stop the moment you stop paying, while a strong profile and website keep working. Most businesses do best with both, and I explain how to balance them in Google Ads or SEO, which first.
Common questions
What is Google AI Mode for local search?
AI Mode is a chat style search tab where Google answers questions with its own written response. For local searches, it suggests a short list of businesses with a summary of each, instead of the usual map and three listings.
Will AI Mode replace the Google map pack?
Not right now. The normal map pack is still the main local result for most searches in the UK. But Google is clearly testing AI versions, so it's smart to prepare rather than wait.
How do I get my business into Google's AI results?
There's no button to press. The early research points to a complete Google Business Profile, a steady flow of reviews, a clear page for each service, matching details everywhere, and listings on trusted directories.
Do reviews affect AI Mode results?
For trades and home services, they appear to matter a lot. One study found plumbers shown only in AI Mode had a median of 546 reviews, against 125 for plumbers shown only in the normal map pack.
The bottom line
Google's AI local results show fewer businesses, and they don't always pick the same ones as the map pack. That raises the bar. The businesses most likely to stay visible are the ones that are easiest to understand and easiest to trust: a full profile, plenty of recent reviews, clear service pages and consistent details. None of that is new, but it matters more now than it ever has. If you'd like help getting it in place, take a look at my local SEO service.