AI Overviews now pull directly from Google Business Profile data to answer local questions before a searcher ever scrolls down to the traditional local pack. A business's profile has quietly become a primary data source for AI-generated answers, not just a pin on a map. For any business owner still treating gmb seo as a once-a-quarter checklist, that shift changes what "optimized" actually means.
Why this shift matters
When someone asks "best dentist near me" or "which bakery delivers in my area," Google's AI systems increasingly answer the question directly, often before the searcher sees a list of ten blue links. Which businesses get named in that answer depends heavily on how complete, consistent, and current their profile data is. A profile with gaps, stale hours, or conflicting details isn't just less appealing to a human browsing search results it's less trustworthy to an AI system deciding who to cite. That's a meaningfully different bar than ranking well used to require.
Why does NAP consistency matter more now than it used to?
Name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistency has always been a local SEO fundamental, but it's taken on new weight. AI systems cross-reference a business's profile against directories, the business's own website, and other public data before deciding whether to cite that business confidently. When those sources disagree a slightly different suite number here, an old phone number there it doesn't just confuse a human visitor; it undermines the AI's confidence in the answer it's about to give. Businesses that invest in real google my business optimization services to clean up and align this data across the web tend to see steadier visibility, because they're removing the friction that makes an AI system hedge or skip them entirely.
It's also worth noting: Google rebranded "Google My Business" to "Google Business Profile" back in 2022. Both names refer to the same platform, and "GMB" is still a widely searched, perfectly valid term even though "GBP" is now Google's official label.
Have ranking factors actually shifted away from backlinks?
Not entirely, but the balance has moved. Google's March 2026 core update pushed local search further toward entity-based local authority rather than pure keyword matching, and real-world engagement signals now carry noticeably more weight than they used to relative to backlink or domain authority alone. Review quantity and quality, photo views, Q&A interactions, direction requests, and how often a business posts updates all feed into how visible and how citable a profile becomes. In practice, this means a business that answers customer questions on its profile, keeps photos current, and responds to reviews consistently can out-perform a competitor with a technically stronger website but a neglected profile.
Does structured data matter for a Google Business Profile?
Yes, and it's one of the more concrete, actionable pieces of this whole shift. Adding LocalBusiness schema markup name, address, phone, hours, service area, and coordinates to a business's website gives both traditional search and AI systems a clean, machine-readable version of the same facts listed on the profile. It's not a replacement for keeping the profile itself accurate, but it reinforces the same data from a second, verifiable source, which is exactly the kind of consistency AI systems are now weighing more heavily.
This doesn't replace a strong website
None of this makes a business's website optional. A well-optimized profile gives AI systems something clear and immediate to cite, but broader website SEO, content depth, and domain authority still matter for everything a profile can't cover service details, pricing nuance, case studies, and the kind of depth that builds trust over time. The two work together; one doesn't substitute for the other.
Businesses sharing GBP posts, offers, or updates on LinkedIn can extend that same content's reach among referral partners and other local businesses, which indirectly reinforces the entity signals search engines are now weighing more heavily.
Revelar Solutions has seen this pattern play out across the local clients it works with: profiles that were merely "claimed" a year ago are no longer competitive, while ones treated as living, structured data sources are pulling ahead in both traditional rankings and AI-generated answers.
For businesses with a strong visual product, keeping a Pinterest presence active alongside the profile can help photo-heavy content circulate further, which feeds back into the kind of engagement signals now factored into local visibility.
One industry report, citing Google's own 2026 data, found that GBP-driven actions calls, direction requests, website clicks, and bookings grew 41% year-over-year, even as traditional organic traffic declined for many local businesses. That figure comes from a single secondary source summarizing Google's data rather than an independently verified study, but directionally it lines up with what many local businesses are already seeing: more of the customer journey is happening inside the profile itself, before a website visit ever occurs.
What should a business actually do about this?
Start with the basics done properly rather than chasing every new feature. Audit NAP consistency across the website, directories, and the profile itself, and fix mismatches first this is foundational gmb optimization work that pays off regardless of what changes next. Add LocalBusiness schema to the website if it isn't there already. Keep photos, hours, and service areas current, and treat the Q&A and posts sections as active channels rather than afterthoughts. Respond to reviews promptly and specifically, since generic responses do less to build the trust signals AI systems are weighing. None of this is exotic it's disciplined, ongoing profile management, done with the understanding that an AI system may be reading and citing this data before a human ever does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "GMB" still an accurate term to use, or should businesses only say "Google Business Profile" now? Google officially renamed the platform in 2022, but "GMB" remains common in everyday use and search behavior, so using both terms is reasonable and won't confuse anyone.
Do backlinks still matter for local search rankings? Yes, but their relative weight has decreased compared to real-world engagement signals like reviews, photos, and direction requests, especially after the March 2026 core update's emphasis on entity-based authority.
Is LocalBusiness schema difficult to add to a website? Not particularly it's a structured data snippet covering basic facts like name, address, hours, and service area, and most website platforms or developers can implement it without a major rebuild.
Can a business rely on its Google Business Profile instead of its website? No. The profile helps AI systems and searchers get quick, citable answers, but the website still carries the depth, detail, and authority signals that a profile alone can't replace.
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