Content

Google made a string of changes to how it measures, ranks, and surfaces local businesses throughout 2025. Rankings that looked stable one month looked broken the next. Impressions dropped without any real loss in visibility. Review signals quietly became more important than links for many local queries.

The Impression Drop That Wasn't

In September 2025, Google removed the num=100 parameter from its search API. Rank tracking tools could previously pull up to 100 results per query. After the change, only the top 10 positions were accessible. Businesses ranking outside the top 10 saw their reported impressions collapse overnight, even though their actual search visibility had not moved. Raw impression counts are no longer a reliable performance metric. Track calls, clicks, and direction requests instead.

Reviews Now Drive Rankings

Google's local ranking algorithm now reads review text for specific service mentions, location references, and indicators of genuine customer experience. A business with twelve detailed, specific reviews can outperform a competitor sitting on fifty generic five-star ratings with no text. Review recency matters more than it used to, though Google balances it against total volume and rating consistency. Behavioural signals on the Google Business Profile itself (clicks to call, direction requests, photo views) have also become a meaningful ranking input.

AI Search Changes the Click Game

Google's AI Mode, powered by Gemini, now handles a growing share of UK local searches. An estimated 93% of AI Mode searches end without a click to a website, more than double the rate seen with standard AI Overviews. For local intent queries, AI Overviews still pull from structured local signals: GBP data, proximity, reviews, and relevance. The local map pack has not disappeared, but businesses relying entirely on organic rankings for discovery are increasingly exposed.

Voice and Visual Search on the Rise

Queries are increasingly conversational. Users ask "who can fix my boiler tonight?" rather than typing "plumber Northampton." Google Lens with Gemini lets users photograph a shopfront or branded van and instantly ask questions about that business. For mobile tradespeople, this is a new discovery surface that did not exist two years ago. Businesses in Google's top three local pack positions receive 126% more traffic and 93% more user actions than those outside it.

What UK Businesses Should Do Now

Get your primary GBP category right. It is the highest-weight foundational signal in local rankings. Build a review system focused on volume, recency, and text quality. Stop tracking impressions and start tracking calls and direction requests. Write your GBP content in natural, conversational language. Keep your full GBP profile complete and up to date at all times.

Sources

• Loop Digital: What Google's Latest Updates Mean for Local SEO in 2026 -- https://www.loop-digital.co.uk/marketing-insights-news/google-local-seo-updates/

• bWebsites: SEO in 2025 - What UK Businesses Must Know -- https://bwebsites.co.uk/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-seo-changes-in-2025/

• Search Engine Land: Local SEO News -- https://searchengineland.com/library/seo/local

• BrightLocal: Local SEO News -- https://www.brightlocal.com/blog/

• GMB API: Local SEO Trends 2025 -- https://gmbapi.com/news/local-seo-trends/