EP 248 - State of Google Business Profile 2026: Impressions Are Down 54%—But Actions Aren’t with Adam Dorfman

Interested in sponsoring this podcast or our newsletters please reach out to mblumenthal@nearmedia.co

E-mail Mike

The Podcast Deets

1. 📉 The Data Shift: Impressions Down, Conversions Stable (00:00–13:45)

BirdEye’s analysis shows a 54% drop in impressions but only a ~5% decline in actions. This suggests that AI and improved search efficiency are compressing the funnel—reducing exploratory searches while preserving intent-driven conversions.

2. 🧠 AI, LLMs & the New Discovery Layer (13:45–30:00)

AI Overviews and LLMs are increasingly shaping brand discovery. Visibility is becoming binary—either you’re cited or you don’t exist. Google still owns the “last click,” but discovery is fragmenting across AI interfaces.

3. 🗺️ Ask Maps & the Future of Local Search UX (30:00–End)

Google’s new Ask Maps feature introduces conversational, intent-rich search within Maps. It enables complex queries (e.g., midpoint searches, multi-constraint queries), signaling a major shift from keyword-based search to task-based discovery.

Key Takeaways

• Category search dominates (86%) → brand is less important than visibility
• Impressions ≠ performance → top-of-funnel shrinking, bottom stable
• AI is compressing the funnel → fewer searches, faster decisions
• LLM visibility is binary → cited or invisible
• Google still owns conversions (for now) → especially via Maps
• Ask Maps is a major UX shift → task-based, conversational local search
• Reviews are evolving → from content → structured AI input
• GBP is not “set it and forget it” → ongoing optimization required for higher visibility
• Ask Maps is a new paradigm in Local search → constrained, accurate LLM local search will change user and Google behaviors.

👇 Watch by topic:

00:00 – Intro & BirdEye Report Overview 02:15 – 86% of Searches Are Category-Based 05:00 – AI Overviews & Brand Discovery Shift 07:00 – GBP Impressions Down 54% (But Why?) 10:30 – The “Last Click” Still Belongs to Google 13:45 – Industry Differences: Calls vs Directions vs Website Clicks 18:30 – Why Most Businesses Still Fail at GBP Basics 23:00 – “Set It and Forget It” Is Dead 26:30 – Ask Maps: Google’s New AI Interface 30:00 – How Search Behavior Is Changing (Longer Queries) 33:30 – LLM Accuracy Problems & Data Trust Issues 36:30 – Reviews in an AI World (Structured Data Wins) 39:00 – Apple Maps vs Google Maps: Early Signals

Related Links

State of Google Business Profile 2026 | Birdeye UKDiscover what drives visibility, engagement, and customer actions on Google Business Profile. Benchmark your locations against top multi-location brands.Birdeye

Sign up for our new Legal Marketing Newsletter. Once a month, no fluff, just good ideas.

Sign Up

Full Transcript of the Near Memo –> on-line