Major Google Business Profile Update: AI, Data Shifts, and Verification Clarity

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is not static. It is constantly evolving, and a recent wave of updates indicates a major shift toward AI-driven functionality and stricter verification.
Here is a summary of the most critical changes and new features you need to know to maintain visibility and accurate tracking for your local business.

1. The AI Takeover of GBP Q&A

Google is moving quickly to integrate its AI models into local search, fundamentally changing how customers find answers on your Business Profile.

Q&A API Deprecation

The most immediate change is the deprecation of the Google Business Profile Q&A API. While the Q&A section itself may not disappear immediately, the ability for third-party tools (and possibly even the main dashboard soon) to easily manage or bulk-upload questions and answers is ending.

The Future is AI: Google is testing AI-generated Q&A and conversational search bars on the FAQ section of profiles.

This suggests the platform will rely on scraping your profile, website, and reviews to generate answers, giving you less direct control over the response.

Your Action Plan:

To ensure key information shows up accurately, you should rely on Google Posts to showcase specific details, promotions, or services that you want customers to see first.

2. Cleaner Data, Better Focus: The SERP Ranking Shift

The &num=100 Parameter Shift: How Reporting Data Changed, Not Your Rankings

The quiet removal of Google’s &num=100 URL parameter has fundamentally reshaped how keyword performance is measured in the SEO industry. This change was not a ranking algorithm update; it was a technical data collection change that primarily affected how SEO tools and Google Search Console (GSC) reported visibility.
For years, appending &num=100 to a search query allowed tools and bots to retrieve up to 100 search results on a single page, making bulk data collection efficient and inexpensive. When Google disabled this function, it forced the industry to recalibrate.

The Impact on Search Console Metrics

The most immediate and widespread effect was a dramatic shift in two key metrics in Google Search Console:

• Impressions Dropped: Impressions plummeted for the vast majority of sites. This was a result of automated scraper traffic (using &num=100 to load all 100 results) no longer being counted. Previously, a single scrape would generate an impression for all 100 URLs, regardless of whether a human user ever saw the result past page one. The new, lower impression count reflects a more accurate baseline of real user visibility.
• Average Position Rose: Many sites saw their Average Position metric suddenly improve. This is an artifact of the Impressions drop. Since the very low-ranking positions (pages 3-10) were the primary source of the inflated, bot-driven impressions, removing that data noise automatically inflated the average rank (making it “better”) because the calculation is now weighted more heavily by the actual top-ranking, highly visible keywords.
• Keyword Visibility Decreased: Third-party rank tracking tools and GSC reports showed a sudden decline in the total number of unique keywords a site ranked for. This is because visibility for long-tail keywords ranking deep in the SERP (positions 21-100) became much harder and more expensive to track, causing them to drop out of reports entirely.

Adapting Your SEO Strategy

The removal of the parameter ultimately compels SEO professionals to focus on meaningful performance indicators:

• Trust Clicks, Not Impressions: If your impressions dropped but your Clicks, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Conversions remained stable, your actual SEO performance is secure. These are the metrics that reflect real user interaction.
• Prioritize Top 20 Rankings: The tracking change reinforces the fact that the vast majority of organic value comes from the first two pages of search results (Top 20). Shift your strategy to prioritize improving positions 5-20, as visibility beyond that is now both harder to measure and less valuable.
• Re-baseline Reporting: Annotate your reports starting from the date of the change (typically late September 2025) and establish the post-removal numbers as your new metric baseline. Avoid comparing current impression data to inflated historical data.

3. New Features: Post Scheduling and Multi-Location Events 🗓️

Google is giving business owners more control and flexibility with content:

• Post Scheduling: This is a major update! The ability to schedule Google Posts is rolling out, making the GBP platform much more like a social media channel. This feature will improve consistency and simplify content planning for managers.
• Multi-Location “What’s Happening”: For businesses with multiple locations, GBP can now grab event information from third-party sources and display it as an event listing across all relevant GBP listings. This centralizes event promotion and saves time.

4. Enhanced Lead Tracking and Customer Journey Insights

The customer journey is becoming more complex (from AI Discovery to Brand Search to Reviews to Conversion). To truly track where your business is generating value, you need a multi-faceted approach.

5. Passing the Video Verification Test

Verification remains a persistent pain point, with processing delays, including for video submissions, sometimes taking up to two weeks. The criteria are strict because Google agents literally cross-reference your video against Google Maps Street View and other factors.
When submitting your continuous, unedited verification video, you must clearly show three things:

• Proof the Business Exists: Show your office or truck with clear, permanent business signage.
• Proof You Are the Owner/Manager: Prove access by showing the key unlocking the vehicle or the front door (must show the door is locked before unlocking).
• Proof of Location: Clearly show the exterior, nearby street signs, or permanent landmarks to prove where you are located.

Video Recording Tips:

• Clarity is Key: Ensure the video is super clear as it may be cropped by the system.
• Pace Yourself: Do not pan too fast—move slowly and deliberately.
• Avoid Cheating: Do not try to prop the door open with your foot when demonstrating the lock.

Focus on Websites Made With Love

Don’t let reporting changes distract you from the core mission: building a quality online experience. Google’s shifts often aim to clear out noise and emphasize genuine value.
If your website is “made with love,” focused on user value and quality content, you’re already doing what matters most. With these recent changes, now is a great time to consider a Mini SEO Audit to help establish a new, accurate performance baseline. Reach out for more info!