They rolled out update after update to Google Business Profiles — most powered by AI. Some features vanished. Others appeared overnight. A few made us rethink everything we knew about local SEO. If you're running a contracting business and relying on Google to bring in leads, here's what actually mattered this year: 1. AI Mode Entered the Chat You're not just competing for a spot on the map anymore. Your business is now being pulled into AI-generated answers. When someone asks "best roofer near me" — Google's AI is deciding who gets mentioned. The game changed. 2. RIP Q&A Section Google quietly killed it. No more random people answering "I don't know" to "Do you install vinyl siding?" Now Google's AI decides how your business gets explained to potential customers. You lost control of that narrative. 3. Ranking Distance Got Tighter Proximity matters more than ever. If you're a contractor 15 miles away competing with someone 3 miles away — you better have rock-solid reviews and relevance. Otherwise, Google moves on without you. 4. Social Posts Now Show on GBP Google started pulling your social content directly onto profiles. Those job site photos you're posting on Facebook? Google's watching. And using them to learn about your business. 5. Google's AI Started Calling Businesses Not a prank. Google's AI is literally calling contractors to collect pricing and service info. If you got a weird call asking about your rates — that was Google doing homework for your next customer. 6. Reviews Got Smarter (and Stricter) Google's AI is now better at detecting fake reviews AND weighing review quality. A generic "great work" doesn't carry the same weight as "John's crew replaced our entire roof in 2 days, cleaned up everything, and the price matched the estimate exactly." Detailed reviews from real customers = gold. 7. Service Area Businesses Got More Visibility Options Good news for contractors who don't have a storefront. Google expanded how SABs show up in local results. But here's the catch — your service areas need to be accurate and your categories need to be dialed in. Sloppy setup = invisible.