You may still appear in Google, but the phone is not ringing like it used to.
That does not always mean your work has got worse. It may mean the way Google displays local businesses has changed.
In September 2026, Google’s new AI local pack is showing fewer businesses than the classic local pack. In many searches, call buttons are missing too.
That creates a harder fight for local trades.
The businesses that stay visible are the ones Google can verify. Your business details need to match. Your website needs to be easy to crawl. Your service pages need to answer clear questions. Your reviews and mentions elsewhere need to support the same story.
Here is what has changed, and what you can do about it.
What is the AI local pack?
The AI local pack is the local business section shown alongside or within an AI-generated Google result. Instead of presenting a familiar list of three businesses with several action buttons, Google may now select a smaller set and explain which businesses appear to fit the search.
For a trade business, this might appear when someone searches:
- “Secondary glazing installer near me”
- “Emergency electrician in Leeds”
- “Roofer for storm damage”
- “Boiler repair in Birmingham”
- “Builder for an extension near me”
The AI result may summarise the service, location, reviews, availability or other details before a customer reaches the normal map results.
Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode use relevant links and existing search systems to build answers. There is no separate magic trick that guarantees inclusion. You still need the basics right, including crawlable pages, useful content and accurate Business Profile information. Read Google’s guidance on AI features in Search.
Why is Google showing fewer local businesses?
Google is trying to give a more direct answer to the search. The AI local pack is not simply copying the old three-business layout. It is selecting businesses it can connect confidently to the customer’s service, location and question.
That means fewer businesses may be shown.
The old local pack gave you more chances to appear. The shrinking AI version gives you fewer chances, so vague information is more likely to leave you out.
A complete profile on its own may not be enough. Google may also check whether your website, reviews, directories and other online mentions agree with one another.
This is the important change: local visibility is becoming more about being understood and verified, not just being listed.
Why do call buttons disappear from the AI local pack?
Call buttons can disappear because the AI result is designed to answer more of the customer’s question before they open a listing. Google may show a summary, a website link, an image or another action instead of the familiar call option.
That is a problem for trades because many jobs begin with a phone call.
If the call button is missing, the customer needs another quick route to contact you. Your website should show a clear phone number, a simple enquiry form and, where suitable, a way to request a quote.
Do not depend on Google’s interface staying the same.
Make sure a customer who sees your business can still reach you in one or two taps after visiting your website.
What does Google need to verify about your business?
Google needs to see a consistent business identity across the places where your company appears. Your name, phone number, address or service area, services and opening hours should not contradict each other.
This does not mean every website must use identical wording. It means the important facts should agree.
Check the following:
- Your Google Business Profile
- Your website header and contact page
- Local and trade directories
- Social profiles
- Review platforms
- Industry or supplier listings
For example, do not use one phone number on your website and an old number on a directory. Do not claim to cover an area if your profile says something different. Do not list services you do not actually provide.
VU1’s free local SEO audit checks name, address and phone consistency, local directory citations and Google Business Profile completeness as part of 15 local, on-page and technical signals.
How can you make your website easier for Google’s AI to understand?
Create a clear page for each important service, then explain what you do, where you work and what a customer should do next. Use straightforward headings, useful detail and internal links so both people and search engines can follow the site.
A secondary glazing specialist might need separate pages for:
- Secondary glazing installation
- Acoustic secondary glazing
- Secondary glazing for listed buildings
- Secondary glazing for sash windows
- The towns and areas genuinely served
A plumber may need pages for boiler repairs, leak detection, heating upgrades and emergency plumbing.
Do not copy the same page and change only the town name. That gives customers little useful information.
Instead, explain the actual service. Mention suitable properties, the process, common questions, likely timescales and how to request a survey or quote.
This is the practical side of AI search optimization. You are not writing for a robot. You are making the job easier for Google to understand and easier for a customer to choose.
How do you appear in Google AI Overviews?
To improve your chances of appearing in Google AI Overviews, publish useful, crawlable service content and keep your business information accurate across the web. Google must be able to find, understand and verify the details before it can confidently cite your business.
There is no guaranteed position and no special phrase that forces an appearance.
Focus on the foundations:
- Keep important pages available to search engines.
- Link to service pages from your navigation and other relevant pages.
- Explain each service in plain English.
- Add genuine proof from completed work.
- Keep your Business Profile current.
- Make sure structured data matches visible page content.
- Check that your website works properly on mobile.
Google’s AI features can use different searches and sources to build a response. That makes clear information more useful than a page stuffed with repeated keywords.
This is also why AI Overviews SEO should not be treated as a separate replacement for local SEO. The same sound work supports both.
Do recent reviews help you stay in the AI local pack?
Recent reviews help because they show that your business is active and give Google more information about the work you actually do. Specific, honest comments about services, locations and customer experience are more useful than empty praise.
Ask customers for an honest review after a completed job.
You can ask them to describe the work in their own words, such as:
- “The secondary glazing was fitted to our sash windows.”
- “The electrician replaced our consumer unit in Leeds.”
- “The roofer repaired storm damage and kept the site tidy.”
Do not write reviews for customers or pressure them to use particular wording.
Reply to reviews with useful, natural answers. Thank the customer, mention the work where appropriate and deal with concerns professionally.
Reviews are not just a ranking signal. They are proof for the person deciding whether to contact you.
Do third-party mentions and citations still matter?
Yes. A third-party mention gives Google another way to check that your business exists, offers the services you describe and works in the area you claim. Useful sources can include established trade directories, local business sites, supplier pages and relevant industry listings.
You do not need to submit your business to every directory on the internet.
Prioritise the listings that matter to your trade and location. Correct old details, remove duplicate entries where possible and keep your main information consistent.
A citation will not rescue a poor website or an incomplete profile. It supports the wider picture.
Think of it like a customer checking your references. One clear source is useful. Several reliable sources that tell the same story are stronger.
What is the 15-second rule for AI and local search?
The 15-second rule is simple: when a customer reaches your website, they should understand what you do, where you work and how to contact you within about 15 seconds. If they have to hunt for those answers, they may leave and choose another trade business.
Put the basics near the top of every important page:
- The service you provide
- The area you cover
- A short reason to trust you
- A phone number or enquiry button
- The next step, such as requesting a quote
This also helps when call buttons disappear from Google.
Do not make visitors search through a long introduction before they can find your contact details. Keep the page useful, direct and easy to use on a phone.
How can you check whether your business is ready?
Start with an honest check of the website, profile and listings you already have. VU1’s free audit checks 15 local, on-page and technical signals, including crawlability, page speed, headings, content depth, mobile-friendliness, structured data and directory citations.
It does not promise rankings or pretend every problem has one quick fix.
It shows where your current setup may be making the business harder to find, understand or contact. Each finding is explained in plain English, with a practical next step.
The audit takes under 15 seconds to request — the report lands within a few minutes.
Is ongoing monitoring worth it for a local trade business?
It can be, especially when Google’s local results are changing and small details can drift over time. Weekly re-audits help you see whether important fixes remain in place instead of relying on memory or occasional guesswork.
VU1 membership costs £99/month and combines the 15-signal audit, weekly change tracking, website hosting and an instant quote widget that helps turn visitors into enquiries. Explore VU1 membership.
The aim is practical: diagnose what is holding visibility back, then give customers a clear way to ask for a price.
What should you fix first?
Start with the details that affect both Google and real customers. Make your business information consistent, build clear service pages, collect honest recent reviews and make your contact route obvious on mobile.
Then check whether Google can crawl the pages you want found.
If you are a glazing specialist, see the guide for secondary glazing specialists. You can also compare practical advice for electricians, plumbers, builders and heating and gas engineers.
The AI local pack may keep shrinking. You cannot control how many businesses Google displays or whether a call button appears.
You can control whether your business is clear, consistent, useful and easy to contact.
That is how you give yourself a better chance of staying in the few businesses Google still shows.