How Google's AI Search is Changing How Homeowners Find Tradespeople

Originally published March 2026. Updated March 2026 with Gemini local business profiles data, BrightLocal 2026 AI trust research, and Google "Ask Maps" feature.

Something has changed in the way homeowners find tradespeople on Google — and most tradespeople haven't noticed yet.

If you search for "best plumber near me" on Google right now, you might see something that didn't exist a year ago: an AI-generated summary at the top of the page, pulling together information from multiple sources to answer your question before you've clicked on a single result. Google calls these "AI Overviews," and they're reshaping how customers discover local businesses.

But it goes further than that. Google's Gemini AI is now generating rich, detailed business profiles for local tradespeople — with descriptions, highlights, star ratings, and even "specialised services" sections, all pulled directly from your Google Business Profile and reviews. If you haven't seen this yet, search your own trade and area in Google's AI Mode. What comes back might surprise you.

For tradespeople, this isn't a reason to panic — local search is actually one of the least affected areas. But it is a reason to understand what's happening and make sure your Google Reviews are working as hard as possible, because reviews are becoming even more important in this new landscape.

What are Google AI Overviews?

When you search on Google, you've traditionally seen a list of links — websites, map listings, and ads. AI Overviews add a new layer: a written summary generated by Google's AI that appears above the regular results and attempts to answer your question directly.

For a search like "how to fix a dripping tap," you might see an AI-generated step-by-step guide before any website links. For "best electrician in Leeds," you might see an AI summary mentioning businesses with strong reviews and relevant services.

These summaries pull information from multiple websites, review platforms, and Google's own data — including your Google Business Profile and your reviews. The AI decides which businesses to mention based on relevance, authority, and reputation signals.

What Gemini is doing with local businesses right now

This is the biggest development since this article was first published, and it's happening fast.

Google's Gemini AI is now generating structured profiles of local businesses that include sections you've never seen before. Local SEO experts spotted these in early 2026 — Gemini creates "People talk most about" sections that list specific services mentioned in reviews, "Highlights" that pull customer sentiment (e.g. "Known for being trustworthy and knowledgeable"), and detailed descriptions written entirely by the AI from your profile and review data.

For example, a search for "best plumbers folkestone" in Google's AI Mode now returns rich profiles for each business, including their rating, review count, a generated description of what they specialise in, highlights from customer reviews, and even "Specialised Services" sections broken down by service type. This is all generated from Google Business Profile data and Google reviews — nothing else.

Google has also replaced its traditional Q&A section with "Ask Maps" — instead of users waiting for a business owner to reply to questions, Gemini now generates instant answers by scanning your profile, website, and reviews. If a customer asks "Does this plumber do emergency callouts?", the AI answers based on what your reviews say.

The implication is clear: what your customers write in Google reviews is now being used by AI to describe and recommend your business. Reviews that mention specific services, response times, and quality of work give the AI richer material to work with.

How much does this affect tradespeople right now?

Here's the good news: local searches are among the least affected by AI Overviews. Research from Ahrefs found that only about 8% of local searches trigger an AI Overview. Compare that to informational searches where the figure can reach 20-30% or higher in some industries.

When someone searches "plumber near me" or "electrician in [town]," they still mostly see the familiar layout: the Google map pack showing three local businesses with star ratings, followed by organic results and ads. This map pack — where your Google Business Profile, reviews, and rating are displayed — remains the primary way homeowners discover local tradespeople.

But the direction of travel is unmistakable. According to BrightLocal's 2026 research, the proportion of consumers using AI tools for local business recommendations has surged from 6% to 45% in just one year. That's not a slow trend — that's a fundamental shift. And Google's own AI Mode, where Gemini generates those rich business profiles, is rolling out more widely.

So if you're a tradesperson who has been building Google Reviews and maintaining your Google Business Profile, your strategy is still sound. The fundamentals haven't changed. But the urgency of executing that strategy well has increased significantly.

Why reviews matter even more in AI search

Here's where it gets interesting for tradespeople. As AI systems increasingly summarise and recommend businesses, the signals they rely on are largely the same ones that have always driven local search — but with even more emphasis on quality, recency, and consistency.

Google's AI needs to trust the businesses it recommends. The strongest trust signals available are genuine customer reviews. When an AI system is deciding which plumber to mention in a summary, it's looking at review count, rating, recency, and the content of the reviews themselves.

Reviews that mention specific services — "replaced our consumer unit," "fitted a new bathroom suite," "repaired the ridge tiles" — give the AI more data to match your business to specific search queries. Generic "great job, 5 stars" reviews are fine for your overall rating but don't help the AI understand what you actually do. This is particularly important now that Gemini is generating those "Highlights" and "Specialised Services" sections from review content.

This is another reason why detailed, specific reviews are more valuable than ever. They serve double duty: they convince human homeowners AND they help AI systems categorise and recommend your business accurately.

What's happening beyond Google

Google isn't the only place people search anymore. ChatGPT now has hundreds of millions of weekly users, many of whom ask it questions like "recommend a good plumber in Manchester" or "how do I find a reliable electrician." Perplexity, another AI search tool, processes hundreds of millions of queries monthly.

These AI platforms don't have their own review databases. They pull from publicly available sources — and Google Reviews are one of the most important. Research shows that AI platforms like ChatGPT are more likely to mention businesses that have strong, consistent review profiles across the web.

Here's the critical point that BrightLocal's AI trust research highlights: ChatGPT and other non-Google AI tools can't see inside Google's walled garden of reviews. This means if your reviews only exist on Google, you're covered for Google search, Maps, Gemini, and AI Overviews — but you're invisible to people using ChatGPT. For tradespeople, Google remains the priority because it's where the vast majority of local searches happen. But it's worth knowing that your online presence beyond Google — your website, directories, and social profiles — also influences whether non-Google AI tools recommend you.

For the full comparison of where tradespeople should focus their review efforts, see: Why Google Reviews Are the Best Place for UK Tradespeople to Build a Reputation.

The zero-click problem (and why it's less scary than it sounds)

You might have read alarming headlines about "zero-click searches" — searches where users get their answer from Google's AI summary without clicking through to any website. The data is real: around 43% of searches with an AI Overview result in no click, rising to 93% in Google's newer AI Mode.

For tradespeople, this sounds terrifying. But here's the important context: these statistics are driven overwhelmingly by informational searches — "how tall is the Eiffel Tower," "what temperature to cook chicken," "how to fix a dripping tap." Searches with buying intent — "plumber near me," "electrician in Sheffield" — still result in clicks, calls, and enquiries because the searcher needs to actually hire someone.

When a homeowner searches for a tradesperson, they're not looking for a summary. They're looking for someone to call. The map pack with phone numbers, the business profiles with reviews — these are action-oriented results, not information-only results. That's why local search has been more resilient to AI disruption than other categories.

What is changing is that AI is curating the shortlist more aggressively — showing fewer businesses and being more selective about which ones make the cut. Gemini's rich local profiles typically feature 3-5 businesses rather than the full list. If your review profile is weak, you don't make that cut. Having a strong review profile is becoming the difference between being on that AI-curated shortlist and being invisible.

Sponsored results are growing in the local pack

One trend worth watching is the growth of sponsored ads in Google's local results. Data from Sterling Sky showed that sponsored ads in the local pack jumped from appearing in about 3% of searches to 22% between 2024 and 2025. That's a significant shift — it means paid advertisers are increasingly pushing organic results further down the page.

For tradespeople, this matters because the map pack is your primary discovery channel. If more of those spots are taken by paid ads, the organic positions become even more competitive — and the businesses that win them are the ones with the strongest review profiles, most complete Google Business Profiles, and best review velocity.

This is the local SEO version of an arms race. Paid ads are getting more expensive — Google Ads for trade keywords already cost £9-22 per click. Meanwhile, strong organic visibility through reviews costs a fraction of that and generates enquiries indefinitely.

What tradespeople should do now

The good news is that the strategy for thriving in AI-influenced search is the same strategy that works for traditional local search — just executed more consistently.

Keep collecting reviews. This is the single most important thing. A steady stream of recent, genuine reviews signals to both Google's traditional algorithm and its AI systems that your business is active, trusted, and worth recommending. BrightLocal's 2026 survey found that 41% of consumers now "always" read reviews — up from 29% in 2025. Automated review collection ensures this happens consistently without relying on your memory.

Keep your Google Business Profile complete. Fill in every field — services, service areas, business hours, photos, description. AI systems work better with complete data. An incomplete profile is harder for AI to categorise and recommend accurately. Google's "Ask Maps" feature now generates AI answers from your profile data — if the data isn't there, the AI has nothing to work with.

Respond to reviews. Responding to both positive and negative reviews shows activity and engagement. Businesses that respond to all reviews are seen as significantly more trustworthy — by homeowners and by AI systems evaluating business quality.

Encourage detailed reviews. When customers mention specific services, locations, and experiences in their reviews, they give AI systems richer data to work with. You can't script reviews, but you can time your request so the customer writes about a specific, fresh experience — which is exactly what happens when a review request goes out the same day the job is completed. Those details are what Gemini pulls into its "Highlights" and "People talk most about" sections.

Think about consistency across platforms. AI systems cross-reference data from multiple sources. Make sure your business name, phone number, and services are consistent across your Google Business Profile, website (if you have one), and social media. Inconsistencies confuse both humans and algorithms.

Frequently asked questions

Will AI replace Google Maps for finding tradespeople?

Not in the near term, but the boundary is blurring. Local search with map results remains the primary channel, and AI Overviews only appear in about 8% of local searches. However, Gemini's AI Mode is now generating rich business profiles that look very different from traditional map results — and 45% of consumers are already using AI for local recommendations. The fundamentals remain the same: strong reviews, complete profiles, and consistent information drive visibility in both traditional and AI-powered search.

Do I need to change my SEO strategy because of AI Overviews?

If your current strategy is focused on collecting Google Reviews, maintaining a complete Google Business Profile, and building a consistent online presence, you don't need a dramatic overhaul. These are exactly the signals AI systems value. The main adjustment is to ensure your reviews are specific and detailed (so Gemini can generate accurate "Highlights" and "Specialised Services" sections), and that your business information is consistent everywhere it appears.

Can ChatGPT recommend my business to potential customers?

Yes — AI platforms like ChatGPT pull from publicly available data including Google Reviews when users ask for business recommendations. Having a strong, well-reviewed Google Business Profile increases the likelihood of being mentioned. However, ChatGPT can't see inside Google's review data directly — it relies on indexed web content that references your business and reviews.

Should I pay for Google Ads to stay visible?

That depends on your budget. Google Ads for trade keywords are expensive (£9-22+ per click), and the cost is rising as sponsored results grow in the local pack. For most sole traders, investing in Google Reviews at £9/month delivers significantly better long-term ROI than paid advertising. Ads stop when you stop paying; reviews are permanent.

What's the single most important thing I can do right now?

Collect more Google Reviews — consistently, not in bursts. Both traditional search algorithms and AI systems heavily weight review quantity, quality, and recency. A tradesperson with 40 recent reviews will outperform one with 80 old reviews, in both traditional and AI-driven search. With 68% of consumers now requiring a 4-star minimum, your rating matters more than ever.

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Related reading

• Why Google Reviews Are the Best Place for UK Tradespeople to Build a Reputation
• Do Google Reviews Actually Help You Rank Higher?
• Why Your 50 Google Reviews From 2023 Aren't Helping You Rank Anymore
• What UK Homeowners Actually Look For in Your Google Reviews

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