# Will AI replace Google for local search?

> A grounded look at whether ChatGPT and other AI assistants will replace Google for finding local businesses, what is actually changing, and how to prepare without panicking.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/blog/will-ai-replace-google-for-local-search
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-26

**Short answer:** AI is changing how people search, but it is not replacing Google for local search any time soon. Google remains the default for finding nearby businesses, and much of the AI search growth is happening inside Google itself through AI Overviews and AI Mode. The businesses that do well in AI assistants are mostly the ones that already do well on Google.

Published 2026-09-26. 7 min read. Category: Marketing and AI search.

Every few months a headline announces the end of Google. For a small business owner, that raises an uncomfortable question: if people start asking ChatGPT instead, is everything you have done to be found on Google wasted? Will AI replace Google search for local businesses?

The honest answer is that search is shifting, but gradually and unevenly, and in a way that rewards most of the same work. Here is what is actually happening, what is uncertain, and what to do about it.

## What is actually changing

Three things are clearly true at the time of writing.

First, many people now use AI assistants for questions they used to search: planning, comparing options, understanding a problem. ChatGPT in particular has a very large user base, and asking it for recommendations has become normal for some groups of customers.

Second, Google itself has become an AI search product. AI Overviews appear above many results in the UK, and AI Mode offers a conversational alternative within Google. So a lot of what looks like “AI replacing Google” is Google replacing its own results page.

Third, AI features are being built into places people already are: phones, browsers, Windows, messaging apps and maps. The line between “searching” and “asking an assistant” is getting blurred.

## Why local search is the slowest part to change

Local search has features that favour the incumbents, at least for now.

- Map data. Knowing where businesses are, when they are open and how to get there needs a huge, constantly updated database. Google Maps and Business Profiles, Apple Maps and Bing Places hold that data. AI assistants mostly borrow it.
- Reviews at scale. Google has an enormous volume of local reviews. Assistants summarise reviews, but they need somewhere to read them from.
- Urgency. Someone with a burst pipe or a broken-down car taps a map and a phone number. A conversation is slower than a list of nearby options with a call button.
- Habit. Maps apps are built into how people get around. Changing that habit takes years, not months.

> The practical upshot: for “near me” and emergency searches, the map pack and your Business Profile still do most of the work. For researched, considered purchases, AI assistants are more likely to shape the shortlist.

## Which customers are most likely to use AI first

Not every purchase is affected equally. Based on how assistants are used, the shift is most noticeable where people research before they choose.

**How much AI assistants are likely to shape the choice, by type of purchase (our assessment, not measured data)**

| Type of purchase | Examples | AI influence now | Where the choice is usually made |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency, needed today | Locksmith, emergency plumber, vet out of hours | Low | Map pack and phone |
| Routine, local and recurring | Hairdresser, dog groomer, café, MOT | Low to medium | Maps, reviews, word of mouth |
| Considered, higher value | Kitchen fitter, extension builder, wedding photographer | Medium to high | Research over days; websites, reviews, AI shortlists |
| Professional and advisory | Accountant, solicitor, financial adviser, therapist | Medium to high | Research, credentials, recommendations |
| Business to business | IT support, commercial cleaning, agencies, suppliers | High | Research, comparison, proposals |

## What stays the same whichever wins

The reassuring part is that the things AI assistants rely on are almost exactly the things Google has rewarded for years. Whether a customer finds you through a map, a search result, an AI Overview or a ChatGPT answer, the underlying evidence is similar:

- An accurate, complete business listing on Google, and equivalents on Bing and Apple.
- A fast, clear website that states what you do, where, for whom, and how to get in touch.
- Genuine reviews that describe the work.
- Consistent details wherever you are listed.
- Mentions from sources people trust: local press, trade bodies, partners.

> If you are doing these well, you are ready for AI search. If you are not, AI search is not the first thing to fix.

## What is genuinely new, and worth a little effort

A few things matter slightly more with AI than with traditional search, and they are cheap to get right:

- Crawler access. AI assistants use their own crawlers alongside Google. Make sure your site does not block them, including through hosting or security settings.
- Plain, quotable statements. Assistants lift sentences. A clear line like “we cover Truro, Falmouth and the Roseland” is more useful to them than a map image.
- Bing. Microsoft Copilot runs on Bing, and Bing results feed some other tools. Claiming a free Bing Places listing and checking Bing Webmaster Tools is a small job with a real upside.
- Answering the questions customers ask. Assistants are asked full questions, so pages and FAQs that answer real customer questions get used.

## What to watch over the next year or two

Predictions about search have a poor track record, so rather than guess, it is more useful to know which changes would matter to a local business if they happened.

- Assistants taking actions, not just giving answers. Some already try to book tables or appointments on a user’s behalf. If that spreads, online booking and clear, public availability become more valuable.
- Assistants built into phones and maps by default. The more an assistant becomes the first thing people talk to, the more your listings on Apple, Google and Bing matter.
- Advertising inside AI answers. If assistants start selling placement, local advertising budgets will follow, and it will be worth understanding the rules before spending.
- Changes to Google’s map pack. If Google blends more AI summary into local results, detailed, recent reviews will matter even more.

> None of these change the basics. Each makes accurate listings, a clear website and real reviews slightly more valuable, not less.

## What we would not do

Do not abandon Google. It is still where most local customers start, and your Business Profile is still one of the most valuable free things you have.

Do not pay for “AI rankings” or guaranteed placement in assistants. No one can sell that honestly.

Do not rewrite your whole website for robots. Pages that are clear for a busy customer on a phone are clear for an AI too.

Do keep an eye on it. Ask a couple of assistants about your service and area every month or two, note what they say and which sources they cite, and fix anything inaccurate. It takes ten minutes and tells you more than any prediction.

At Nerdsharks we build websites for how customers search now, which means for Google, for maps and for AI assistants at the same time. The good news is that doing it properly for one mostly does it for all three.

## Questions

### Is ChatGPT going to replace Google?

ChatGPT is taking some searches that used to go to Google, especially research and planning questions, but it has not replaced Google, and for local searches Google remains the default for most people. Google has also added its own AI answers, so much of the change is happening inside Google rather than instead of it.

### Should I stop investing in SEO because of AI?

No, you should not stop investing in SEO because of AI. AI assistants lean on the same things good SEO produces: indexed pages that answer questions clearly, accurate listings and a strong reputation. Work that helps you rank on Google generally helps you appear in AI answers too.

### Do people really use AI assistants to find local businesses?

Yes, some people use AI assistants to find local businesses, particularly for considered purchases where they want a shortlist and a summary of reviews. For urgent and routine local needs, most people still use maps and search. The mix varies by age group, sector and how much research the purchase involves.

### What is the difference between Google AI Mode and ChatGPT?

Google AI Mode is a conversational search feature inside Google that draws on Google's own search index and local business data. ChatGPT is OpenAI's assistant, which searches the web using its own crawler and third-party providers. Both cite sources, but they read different indexes, so their answers often differ.

### How can I tell if customers are finding me through AI?

You can spot some AI-driven visits in your analytics as referrals from sites such as chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai or copilot.microsoft.com. Many AI-influenced customers never click a link, though, so the most reliable method is simply asking every new customer how they found you.

## Sources

- AI features and your website, Google Search Central, 2026: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features
- Overview of OpenAI crawlers, OpenAI, 2026: https://platform.openai.com/docs/bots
- Bing Places for Business, Microsoft, 2026: https://www.bingplaces.com/