A New Era of Smarter Search Experiences
Google is transforming how customers find and interact with local businesses. The company is currently testing an AI assistant that makes phone calls to businesses to confirm pricing, availability, scheduling, and service details.
When someone searches for terms like “hair salon near me” or “plumber in Miami,” Google may use its AI assistant to call a business and confirm details such as pricing, hours, or availability. This does not replace your website, reviews, or profile data. Instead, it enhances Google’s existing information by adding real-time verification.
Google is still using all of its traditional signals, but now it can validate them through brief voice-driven conversations. This means that accurate information and fast responses help Google feel more confident about recommending your business, which supports your visibility in search results.
Businesses that maintain accurate information and respond consistently are more likely to earn stronger visibility across Google Search, Google Maps, and future AI-powered results.
What Google Has Confirmed About AI-Driven Calls
Google has shared several key facts:
- The AI assistant is active only in selected areas of the United States
- It identifies itself as calling for a Google user
- It asks short, simple questions about pricing, scheduling, and availability
- Businesses can opt in or opt out through Google Business Profile settings
- The AI’s purpose is to improve search accuracy, not penalize businesses
How Google’s Local Ranking Factors Work with Google Business Profile
Google’s local ranking system continues to rely on three core factors. Each of these connects directly to how your Google Business Profile is managed and how the AI assistant may evaluate your information.
Understanding these ranking factors helps you prepare your business for AI-driven search and stronger local visibility.
Relevance: How Well Your Business Matches a User’s Search Intent
Relevance is about how closely your business information aligns with what the user is searching for.
Google looks at the details in your Google Business Profile to determine whether your business is a good match.
These details influence relevance:
- Your business categories
- Your business description
- Your service list
- Product listings
- Menu items
- Posts and updates
- Questions and answers
- Service areas
When Google’s AI assistant calls your business, it verifies the same information users care about.
Clear, accurate, keyword-rich information increases your chances of appearing in results when someone searches for your service.
The more complete and precise your profile is, the easier it is for Google to understand what you offer.
Distance: How Close You Are to the Searcher’s Location
Distance refers to how physically close your business is to the user who is searching.
This factor has always been fundamental to local SEO, but Google Business Profile now plays a larger role in helping Google define your coverage.
Here’s how your profile influences distance accuracy:
- Your primary business address
- Your service area boundaries
- Multiple locations and location groups
- Updated holiday hours and availability
- Verified listings
If your service area is outdated or inaccurate, Google may not show your business to nearby customers.
When the AI assistant verifies your hours or availability, it reinforces your location accuracy. This helps Google determine how far your service actually reaches.
Businesses that rely on service-area visibility, such as contractors or mobile services, should ensure their service radius and city list reflect reality.
Prominence: How Well-Known, Trusted, and Reliable Your Business Appears
Prominence is the factor most affected by interactions, responsiveness, and engagement. Google wants to highlight businesses that demonstrate reliability and quality.
This is where the new AI assistant and your Google Business Profile overlap most.
Prominence is shaped by:
- The quality and quantity of reviews
- Average star rating
- How quickly you reply to reviews
- How well you respond to messages and calls
- Profile activity, such as posting updates
- Directory listings
- Brand visibility online
A business that appears active, engaged, and responsive builds trust signals that are attractive both to users and Google’s ranking system.
How Google Evaluates Your Business Through AI Interactions
Although Google has not stated that missed AI calls lower rankings, the AI assistant is testing and validating the same signals that matter for local search.
This includes:
- Whether your business answers calls
- Whether you provide accurate and consistent information
- Whether your hours and availability match your actual operations
- Whether your pricing and services align with what users expect
If your profile is incomplete or your phone goes unanswered repeatedly, Google may feel less confident recommending your business to users.
On the other hand, fast responses and accurate data strengthen your relevance, prominence, and trustworthiness.
Understanding Zero-Click Searches and How They Affect Your SEO
Zero-click searches happen when users find the information they need directly on Google without clicking on a website.
This trend is growing because Google is integrating AI tools and using phone-verification systems to confirm business information.
Examples of zero-click visibility include:
- Pricing displayed in search results
- Live hours of operation
- Reviews and ratings
- Appointment availability
- Service descriptions
- Instant answers extracted from AI calls
Even though zero-click searches may reduce website visits, they can still increase calls, messages, and foot traffic when your Google Business Profile is optimized.
How to Measure Zero-Click Search Performance
While Google does not show a specific zero-click metric, you can measure the impact through:
Google Search Console
If impressions rise while clicks stay the same, users are viewing your information directly in search results.
Google Business Profile Insights
High volume of calls, direction requests, and messages suggests strong zero-click activity.
Website Analytics
If website traffic decreases but customer inquiries remain steady, your business is benefiting from zero-click visibility.
Tracking these patterns helps you understand how customers engage with your business in Google’s evolving AI ecosystem.
The Other Perspective: How BDRs Strengthen SEO, Visibility, and Customer Experience
BDRs are no longer just sales representatives. They now play an essential role in how your business appears on Google.
BDRs help with:
- Faster responsiveness
- Real-time communication
- Accurate business information
- Higher engagement metrics
- Increased review generation
- Stronger profile performance
As AI-driven search expands, BDRs help ensure your business meets Google’s expectations for speed, clarity, and consistency.
How Expresso Company Helps You Stay Ahead in an AI-Driven Search Era
1. Capture Every Opportunity Through Answering Services and BDRs
Your business never misses a call or message. Our team responds instantly, improving your engagement metrics and strengthening your prominence signals.
2. Keep Your Google Business Profile Optimized
We maintain and update all information, including hours, pricing, descriptions, photos, and service areas.
3. Build Visibility With SEO-Driven Content
We create blogs, landing pages, social content, and campaigns that expand your keyword coverage and support long-term authority.
4. Improve Every Customer Touchpoint
From reviews to phone calls, our team enhances your brand presence and strengthens trust signals that affect Google rankings.
Preparing Your Business for the Future of AI-Powered Search
Google’s new AI assistant is changing how local search works. Businesses are now evaluated through real-time conversations, accuracy signals, and quick responses that help Google confirm information.
As zero-click searches continue to grow, your Google Business Profile, reviews, photos, and availability play a bigger role in how customers find you. The businesses that stay responsive and maintain clear, consistent information will stand out in this next phase of SEO.
This is where strong support teams and BDRs become valuable because they strengthen the signals Google now pays attention to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google’s new AI assistant and how does it work for local businesses?
Google’s AI assistant is a voice-based system that calls businesses on behalf of users to confirm information such as pricing, scheduling availability, and service details. The AI collects short, factual responses that help Google provide more accurate results within Search and Maps. Its goal is to improve accuracy, reduce outdated information, and help users make faster decisions.
Does missing a call from Google’s AI assistant hurt my SEO ranking?
Google has not announced any direct ranking penalty for missed AI calls. However, responsiveness still influences customer trust and engagement metrics, which are connected to the “prominence” ranking factor. Businesses that answer calls consistently, provide accurate information, and maintain a complete Google Business Profile are more likely to rank higher over time.
How can I check if Google’s AI assistant contacted my business?
When the AI calls, it identifies itself clearly as calling from Google on behalf of a customer. You can verify these calls by reviewing your call history inside your Google Business Profile dashboard. You can also adjust your participation settings if you prefer to opt in or opt out of these calls.
Why are zero-click searches important for local business SEO?
Zero-click searches matter because they show how often customers find the information they need without visiting your website. This includes business hours, prices, availability, and reviews. A strong Google Business Profile helps you benefit from zero-click visibility by turning impressions into calls, messages, bookings, and foot traffic.
How do BDRs improve local SEO and Google engagement?
BDRs increase responsiveness, ensure accurate information, and convert inquiries into real customers. These actions improve engagement signals such as calls, messages, customer satisfaction, and reviews. Each of these signals contributes to your prominence in search results and helps Google view your business as reliable.
How can Expresso Company help my business adapt to AI-powered search?
Expresso Company provides full support that includes managing your Google Business Profile, responding to calls through answering services and BDRs, optimizing your SEO strategy, and creating content that helps your business remain visible in both traditional and AI-driven search results.