89% of Google Business Profile views now come from mobile devices, where AI features are most prominent. Yet most businesses are still optimizing for desktop Maps rankings. Google’s AI Mode is reshaping how customers discover local businesses, and the ranking factors that got you to the top of the local pack won’t get you recommended by an LLM.
We can’t track AI Mode engagement yet, but the visual real estate alone suggests users are more likely to interact with profiles presented this way. The question is: when your business gets that spotlight, is your Google Business Profile compelling enough to win the booking?
Understanding How AI Mode Actually Works
The bigger questions are: How is AI Mode presenting options today? When you search for something specific, how many businesses get shown? Are you appearing as a primary recommendation or surfaced in the “fan out” options? And does that positioning even matter for driving clicks and calls?
Without attribution data, we’re operating somewhat blind. We can’t definitively say whether being the top AI Mode recommendation drives more conversions than appearing third, or whether the expanded knowledge panel view makes up for lower positioning. What we can do is focus on best practices, optimizing your profile to be as compelling as possible, and then measure what happens downstream: customer interactions, calls, and actual sales.
So What Are the Best Practices for AI-Ready Local SEO?
The fundamentals haven’t disappeared; Google Posts, photos, and videos are still essential. But the approach needs to shift. Everything you add to your profile should be purposeful and conversion-focused, not just content for content’s sake.
Google Posts: Think Conversion, Not Engagement
This isn’t social media where you’re chasing likes and follows. Your Google Business Profile sits at the bottom of the funnel, users are already looking for what you offer. Every post should be designed to close the deal.
- Restaurants: Highlight specific offers, events, or seasonal menu items
- Service providers: Share before-and-after photos that demonstrate real results
- Lawyers: Showcase notable settlements or case wins
- Real estate agents: Feature active listings or recent sales with compelling details
The goal is simple: give potential customers a reason to choose you right now.
Photos and Videos: Show the Full Picture
Your visual content needs to do more than just look good, it should help potential customers decide if your business is right for them. Photos should capture the vibe of your place and include people so viewers know what to expect and what to wear. Include before-and-after photos of your services to demonstrate real results, along with both exterior and interior shots that give a complete sense of your space.
Video testimonials add authenticity and build trust in ways static images can’t. Showcase any awards, certifications, or recognitions you’ve earned. These serve as instant credibility markers. Consider adding photos of your team at work, your product or service in action, special events you’ve hosted, and any unique features or amenities that set you apart from competitors.
Business Descriptions: Help the AI Understand What You Do
Your business description should be crystal clear about your core services and service area. This isn’t about keyword stuffing, it’s about helping the LLM accurately categorize and recommend your business. Be specific about what you offer and where you serve. The clearer you are, the better chance AI Mode surfaces your profile for the right queries.
Reviews: Quality and Recency Trump Quantity
Reviews have always mattered in local SEO, but don’t get caught up chasing review count. A business with 300 reviews can have the same overall sentiment as one with 2,000. What matters more is consistency and recency.
According to Google’s support documentation, review summaries are based on reviews from the past year and updated weekly to reflect recent opinions. In the example shown earlier, Google’s AI analyzed just 179 recent reviews to create the sentiment summary for a steakhouse with over 2,000 total reviews. The AI isn’t weighing your entire review history equally. It’s focused on what customers are saying now.
Not every business will get an AI-generated review summary. Google notes that summaries may not be available for places with limited reviews or a lack of consistent themes. This means the quality and substance of your reviews matter just as much as the volume.
What this means for your strategy:
- Focus on generating consistent, ongoing reviews rather than sporadic bursts
- Respond to recent feedback to show you’re actively engaged
- Address negative reviews quickly so they don’t skew your recent sentiment
- Encourage detailed reviews that mention specific services, dishes, or experiences (this helps create those “consistent themes” Google looks for)
A steady stream of authentic, substantive reviews signals to AI that your business is actively delivering quality experiences.
Gemini Desktop vs. Gemini Mobile: Two Very Different Experiences
Here’s something critical that most business owners are missing: Gemini behaves completely differently on desktop versus mobile.
When I ran the same search on both platforms, the results were strikingly different. Gemini desktop provided AI-generated recommendations with zero direct links to businesses. Meanwhile, Gemini mobile explicitly mentioned “searching Google Maps,” displayed business photos, and provided clickable links to detailed business profiles with rich information like review summaries, popular menu items, and a direct “Open in Google Maps” button.
Let Your Data Guide Your Strategy
Look at your Google Business Profile insights to see where your views are actually coming from. In the example above, this business received:
- 76% of views from Google Search – mobile
- 13% from Google Maps – mobile
- 10% from Google Search – desktop
- 1% from Google Maps – desktop
That’s 89% mobile traffic versus 11% desktop. If your numbers look anything like this, you need to be obsessing over how your profile appears on mobile devices and not just checking it on your laptop. Prioritize testing and optimizing your profile experience on mobile devices where AI features are more prominent and interactive.
What LLMs Are Getting Wrong (And What It Means for You)
Through my research, I’ve noticed some puzzling gaps in how AI Mode and Gemini handle basic business information.
The “Permanently Closed” Problem
Openness status doesn’t seem to factor into AI recommendations. I’ve seen multiple instances where businesses marked as permanently closed still appear in AI-generated results. Apparently, when someone searches for “best sushi in Michigan,” the LLM doesn’t automatically infer that the searcher is looking for restaurants that are, you know, actually open and serving customers.
Category Precision Matters Less Than You Think
Here’s another surprise: In the AI Mode results, several top recommendations didn’t have “sushi” in their business name, and their primary category was listed as “Japanese Restaurant” rather than “Sushi Restaurant.” This flies in the face of traditional local SEO wisdom, where we obsess over business name accuracy and primary category alignment. LLMs appear to be operating differently. They’re looking at the broader context: menu items, review content, photos, and overall business description rather than just the category label.
The New Ranking Factor Landscape: Google Maps vs. LLMs
The signals that matter for traditional Google Maps rankings are not the same signals that influence AI Mode and Gemini recommendations. Here’s what I’ve observed:
| Ranking Factor | Google Maps | Google’s LLMs |
|---|---|---|
| Openness status | High Priority | Not a priority |
| Keyword in business name | High Priority | Not a priority |
| Aligned primary category | High Priority | Not a priority |
| Reviews | Priority | Higher Priority |
| H1 headers on website | Priority | Higher Priority |
| Listicles (“Best X in Y”) | Not a priority | High Priority |
| Third-party reviews (Yelp, TripAdvisor) | Not a priority | High Priority |
| Reddit mentions | Not a priority | High Priority |
| Influencer posts | Not a priority | High Priority |
| Random third-party sites | Not a priority | High Priority |
| PR mentions | Priority | Higher Priority |
| Business descriptions on platforms like OpenTable, Uber Eats 3rd party directories | Not a priority | High Priority |
| Freshness | Priority | Not a Priority (queries matter) |
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