It’s the time of year when Google hosts their annual conference, Google I/O. Around this time there’s always a buzz as they make announcements, or trickle out new features, and this year was no different.
At Google I/O 2025, we learned more about Google’s vision for AI search, and just before then, we found out about some new Google Business Profile (GBP) functionality. The direction is clear. Google is doubling down on AI and trying to improve the user experience of searchers.
So, what’s at the heart of this strategy? A renewed focus on personalization using AI, local discovery, smart spending, and seamless, enjoyable experiences, especially when it comes to food, events, and things to do.
AI Mode and the Future of Search
As part of the keynote on day one of Google I/O, Google announced a brand new AI Mode, along with a number of upgrades to Google Gemini.
While these aren’t local specific, there’s a good chance they’ll affect how users search for and discover businesses moving forward.
AI Mode is a fully AI search experience. Google created it early in 2025 in Search Labs and is now rolling it out to the whole of the US.
In their own words:
“AI Mode is our most powerful AI search, with more advanced reasoning and multimodality, and the ability to go deeper through follow-up questions and helpful links to the web. Over the coming weeks, you’ll see a new tab for AI Mode appear in Search and in the search bar in the Google app.”
Right now AI Mode is opt-in; you have to navigate to it as it sits in its own tab at the top of the screen. But realistically, and hammered home by Liz Reid, Google’s Head of Search, this is the future of search. A truly personalized experience.
So what does that mean for you? How can you future-proof yourself?
It means that traditional search is not necessarily long for this world. AI Mode is designed to learn from you. It’ll look at your emails, your search history and try to tailor your searches based on that.
“Today the search experience for someone looking something up varies from postal code to postal code, but with this type of feature it’s going to vary from individual to individual.”
– Ross Simmonds, CEO, Foundation & Distribution.ai via LinkedIn
If it knows you’ve booked a hotel in downtown Miami, for instance, it can start giving you a tailored itinerary, and local restaurant suggestions.
If you’ve told it about allergies, it can omit any recipes it suggests in a search that includes those ingredients. That doesn’t sound too much of an issue for a local business, right? You’re not giving someone a recipe. But think about what that sort of learning and personalization actually means.
- When a user asks for a list of places to buy products in their local area, Google will already know their shopping preferences from their emails (and other sources). It could exclude certain shops from their list, while including them more regularly for others.
- If Google knows about an allergy, it can give tailored suggestions for places to eat based on the menus in Google Business Profiles.
- It can tailor recommendations based on the vibe it knows a user has. If it knows all about their interests, the brands they interact with, the papers they read, the inspirational content they interact with, the bands they listen to, or anything else, it can give them a recommendation that matches it.
This truly tailored searching is likely to be what Google wants all search experiences to be like in the future. So, while AI Mode may be in its own tab, for now, there’s a good chance it will inform how search works in the future. Therefore, it will affect how people find your business.
It’s currently available across the US.
For marketers or local businesses, AI Mode will bring some new truths:
- Clicks will likely go down.
This is already the case for a lot of sites based purely on AI Overviews. But AI Mode may decrease them even more, even when it does provide links. - Ranking for general terms may become less important.
Depending on the personalization, the same term could show completely different results. - Your brand and reputation is more important than ever.
Making sure AI understands your brand, and that your brand is both familiar and respected locally will be crucial for getting it found. It goes without saying, but continue to work at getting more reviews. - Diversifying your channels is going to be important.
Look beyond simply optimizing for Google. Where else is your brand visible? TikTok, YouTube, Yelp? - Your Google Business Profile remains important.
In the examples Google uses in its presentation, the AI continues to surface the full profile for the local businesses it recommends.
“Right now, ranking #1 for a broad key phrase means you get a lot of clicks, but many people will drop out when the price is wrong, the brand isn’t a good fit for them, or doesn’t fit some kind of personal requirement.
The personalisation we’ll see within AI-type systems will mean a “broad” term with 50,000 searches a month may generate 1,000 different sets of results/recommendations based on the user profile. Fewer clicks, but much higher qualification is likely the future—so as Myriam Jessier has been publishing, making sure AI systems understand what your brand is, will be paramount.”
– Mark Williams-Cook, SEO Direct, Candour via LinkedIn
On top of AI Mode, Google announced a number of upgrades to Google Gemini and a rollout of AI Overviews to new countries. If you hadn’t realised by now, Google is all in on AI.
Google Business Profile Releases: Event Posts and ‘What’s Happening’
Just before Google IO, Google rolled out a brand-new Event Post display for restaurants and bars. This significant update makes GBP Posts more visible than ever in mobile search.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Displays prominently for branded searches on mobile
- Pulls content from your GBP event posts or connected social accounts
- Highlights timely updates like ‘Live Band Tonight’ or ‘Happy Hour Today’
- Prioritizes recency—outdated content disappears quickly
- Not available on Maps or desktop (yet)
- Live in English-speaking markets: US, UK, CA, AU, NZ
- Available only for single-location listings
And there’s more! Google has also introduced the new ‘What’s Happening’ section for restaurants and bars. This is a dedicated space at the top of a GBP profile to spotlight events, deals, and specials.
“This is the first time in a while that Google has made Posts more visible in search. The intent is clear: Google wants to surface what’s happening right now at your business.”
– Claudia Tomina, Google Product Expert and CEO, Reputation ARM via LinkedIn
This space is designed to drive immediate engagement, putting updates like ‘Today’s Special’ or ‘Live Music Saturday’ front and center. To be eligible to appear in this new space:
- Post directly to your GBP using Google Posts, or
- Connect your Facebook, Instagram, and X profiles for automatic syncing.
It’s a small change with a big impact, especially for businesses that rely on footfall and timely promotions.
What These New Features Mean for Local Businesses
These recent GBP changes are all about enhancing the discoverability and appeal of local businesses. From event-led footfall to deal-driven dining decisions, Google is reinforcing the power of local relevance and giving businesses more tools to stay visible and competitive.
At BrightLocal, we’ll be tracking these developments closely and helping businesses make the most of every new feature as it rolls out.
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