Will Google AI Mode Replace the Local Map Pack? My Take

Quick answer: No, I don’t think Google AI Mode will replace the local map pack outright, at least not soon. What I do think is that the pack stops being the place where patients decide. AI answers now sit on top of it, summarize it and borrow from it, so your Business Profile and website become the raw material those answers are built from.

Key takeaways

• My position: the map pack survives as a feature, but it is losing its role as the final step. More local decisions will happen inside an AI answer that draws on the same data.
• Google has spent 2026 pushing AI into local results: AI-powered local packs, a Business Profile panel shown as an AI Overview, and a conversational Ask Maps feature in Google Maps.
• Google’s own guidance says there are no extra requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and it lists keeping your Business Profile up to date as part of normal good practice.
• The biggest risk for a practice is not disappearing. It is being described wrongly, because AI answers can pull outdated or inaccurate details from anywhere they find them.
• What I’d do now: make your Business Profile and website say the same thing, answer real patient questions on your site, earn recent and specific reviews, and judge results by calls and bookings rather than pack position.

What is the local map pack, and what is Google AI Mode?

The local map pack is the box of nearby businesses Google shows with a map for searches like “dentist near me”, usually three listings with ratings, hours and a call button. Google AI Mode is Google’s conversational search experience, which answers a question in writing, takes follow-up questions and links to the sources it used.

The two work very differently. The pack is a ranked list. Google decides which three businesses to show, and the patient picks one. AI Mode is a written answer. Google reads information about several businesses, summarizes it, and the patient can keep asking questions before they ever tap a listing.

Google explains in its guide to AI features and your website that AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a “query fan-out” technique, running several related searches across subtopics and data sources to build one response. For a local question, that means one answer can combine Business Profile details, reviews and website content, which a three-listing pack never tried to do.

What has Google actually changed in local results this year?

Google has moved AI into almost every part of local search during 2026. AI-powered local packs have replaced the classic three-pack for some searches, the Business Profile panel has been shown as an AI Overview, Google Maps gained a conversational search feature, and AI Mode is getting more prominent links and more ads.

Are AI-powered local packs already replacing the classic three-pack?

For some searches, yes. Since around the start of 2026, Google has shown an AI-powered version of the local pack in place of the classic one on some local searches. These AI packs often show one or two businesses instead of three, and businesses that relied on pack visibility reported large drops in Business Profile views as a result.

Search Engine Roundtable reported in January 2026 that some businesses saw visibility declines of 50% or more after the change, based on reporting from local SEO specialists Joy Hawkins and Glenn Gabe. Hawkins reported lower traffic to Business Profiles and more clicks going to ads, and Gabe noticed fewer listings and missing call buttons. Whitespark’s guide to AI Mode for local businesses, published in May 2026, describes the same pattern on mobile: AI local packs that often show fewer than three businesses and frequently lack a click-to-call button.

What happened to the Business Profile panel in September?

In September 2026, Google was seen showing a business’s local knowledge panel, the Business Profile listing on the right of the results, as an AI Overview. The top of the listing carried an “AI Overview” label and a “Show more” button that opened an AI Mode style chat about the business.

Search Engine Roundtable covered this on September 17, 2026. Barry Schwartz confirmed it on his own business and noted that the summary was mostly accurate but leaned on outdated information from his company’s old website. To me, that detail matters more than the design change. The AI described the business using whatever it could find, not what the owner would choose to say today.

What did Google announce in October?

On October 15, 2026, Google announced changes to how links appear in AI Mode and AI Overviews, including inline links shown higher up and a test that puts links to official sites in their own section at the top of a response. Later in October, Google expanded ads in AI Mode to more countries.

Google’s post, “More ways to connect with the web from Search” by Hema Budaraju, describes the official sites section as a test for cases where there are only one or two official places on the web for a task. It doesn’t mention local businesses, so I wouldn’t assume a practice website counts. Separately, Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 28, 2026 that ads in AI Mode were expanding to countries including Australia, Canada and India, with multiturn ads on follow-up questions launching in the U.S.

Is Google Maps getting the same treatment?

Yes. In March 2026, Google launched Ask Maps, a Gemini-powered feature that answers complex questions about places in Google Maps and shows the options on a custom map. It is the same idea as AI Mode, applied to the app many patients already use to find a local dentist.

In its announcement, “How we’re reimagining Maps with Gemini”, Google said Ask Maps draws on information from more than 300 million places and reviews from a community of more than 500 million contributors. It started rolling out in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS. Reviews and place data are the ingredients. The answer is the new wrapper.

Will Google AI Mode replace the local map pack?

My view is that AI Mode will not replace the map pack as a feature, but it will replace it as the place where many patients make their choice. The pack, the Business Profile panel and Maps are all turning into inputs for AI answers. The listing stays. Its job changes from destination to data source.

Here is why I land there rather than on “the pack is dead”:

1. AI Mode runs on the same local data. Google’s Business Profile Help page on local ranking still says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Google’s AI features guide lists keeping your Business Profile information up to date as part of normal good practice. Nothing suggests a separate system replacing that data.
2. Many local searches are simple. Someone with a broken tooth on a Saturday wants a nearby practice that is open and a number to call. A short list with a map does that job well, and I don’t see Google forcing a conversation on people who just want to tap and call.
3. Google keeps calling these changes tests. The official sites section is a test. The AI Overview version of the Business Profile panel was spotted, not announced. Google tests a lot of local layouts, and many never reach every user.
4. The direction is still clear. AI packs that show fewer businesses, AI summaries on business listings, Ask Maps and ads inside AI Mode all point the same way. Fewer patients will compare three listings themselves. More will read an AI summary of them.

So my honest answer to “will it replace the map pack?” is: it doesn’t need to. If the decision moves into the AI answer, the pack can stay on the page and still matter less.

What would prove me wrong?

I would change my view if AI-powered local packs, or AI Mode answers, became the default for most simple “near me” searches on mobile, or if Google made AI Mode the standard search experience. In that case the classic pack would effectively disappear for most patients, even if Google never formally retired it.

There are signs worth watching. Google has tested replacing the local pack with an AI Overview before, which Search Engine Roundtable reported in May 2025, although Barry Schwartz could not reproduce it at the time. AI Mode is also moving closer to the normal results page, which I wrote about in my take on Google putting AI Mode on the normal results page. If those tests become permanent, the pack shrinks fast.

Either way, the practical advice below is the same. That is partly why I’m comfortable holding this view: it doesn’t depend on guessing Google’s next layout.

How do the map pack and AI Mode local results compare?

The map pack ranks a few businesses and leaves the comparison to the patient. AI Mode does the comparison for them, using Business Profile details, reviews, websites and other mentions, and then lets them ask follow-up questions. The pack rewards being listed. AI Mode rewards being described accurately and well.

What does this mean for a dental practice’s Business Profile?

It means your Business Profile is no longer just a listing patients scroll past. It is a fact sheet that Google’s AI reads and retells in its own words. If your hours, services, insurance details or treatment names are missing or out of date, an AI answer can repeat the gap or fill it from somewhere worse.

Whitespark’s guide gives a clear example of the risk: AI Mode pulled a policy from a previous tenant at the same address and gave an inaccurate answer. Barry Schwartz’s own panel leaned on his old website. Neither business did anything dramatically wrong. They simply had old or stray information somewhere the AI could find it.

The fix is not a trick. Google’s local ranking help page says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show in local results, and that there’s no way to pay for a better local ranking. I made a related argument about why your Business Profile services list decides if AI recommends you. The same logic now applies to every field on the profile, and to every page on your website that describes the same facts.

What should practice owners do now?

Practice owners should treat their Business Profile and website as one consistent source of facts, answer real patient questions on their own pages, keep earning recent and specific reviews, and measure calls and bookings instead of pack position. None of this needs a new tool, and all of it helps in the classic pack too.

This site is for opinion rather than step-by-step guides, so where a how-to helps, I’ve pointed to the Dental Master Media guide that covers it:

1. Make every listing say the same thing. Check your practice name, address, phone number, hours, services and insurance details on your Business Profile, your website and the main directories. Fix anything left over from an old address, an old owner or an old website.
2. Answer the questions patients ask about you. Insurance, payment plans, emergency appointments, sedation, parking and whether you see children. If the answer isn’t on your website or profile, the AI has to guess or skip you.
3. Keep reviews recent and specific. Ask patients to mention the treatment they had. A review that names the treatment, such as an implant consultation or an emergency visit, gives an AI summary something real to work with.
4. Keep your treatment pages complete. AI Mode can cite websites as well as profiles, so a thin implant page is a missed chance to be the source.
5. Still compete for the classic pack. It is not gone. Dental Master Media explains how Google decides which dentist to show in the map pack, and its guide to how Google AI Mode is reshaping local search for dental practices covers the AI side in more detail.

How can you check how AI Mode describes your practice?

You can check by asking AI Mode the questions your patients ask, comparing every fact in the answer with your Business Profile and website, and noting which sources it cites. Do it once a month for your main treatments and your area, and fix the source whenever the answer is wrong.

1. Search your practice name in AI Mode and read the full answer. Are the hours, services, address and phone number right?
2. Ask the questions a new patient would ask, such as which practices nearby take your insurance or offer emergency appointments, and see whether you are named.
3. Look at the sources listed with the answer. Is your website among them, or are older directories and third-party pages doing the talking?
4. Check how your reviews are summarized. If the summary misses what you’re known for, your recent reviews probably don’t mention it.
5. In Google Search Console, remember that Google counts AI Overviews and AI Mode traffic in the Performance report under the “Web” search type, so watch your total clicks and your booking data together.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google getting rid of the local map pack?

Google hasn’t announced any plan to remove the local map pack. It has tested and shown AI-powered versions of the pack on some searches, and those often list fewer businesses. I expect the classic pack to stay for simple local searches while more decisions move into AI answers.

Do I need to do anything special to appear in AI Mode local answers?

Google says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond normal SEO practice. For a practice, that means an indexed, useful website and a complete, accurate Business Profile. Consistent details across your listings help the AI describe you correctly.

Where does AI Mode get information about local businesses?

AI Mode draws on Business Profile details, reviews, websites and other mentions it finds across the web. Google describes a query fan-out technique that runs several related searches to build one answer, so an old directory listing or outdated page can end up in the summary.

Will fewer patients call my practice from Google?

It depends on your searches and your area. Local SEO specialists reported drops in Business Profile visibility where AI-powered packs replaced the classic one, and mobile AI packs often lack a call button. Track calls and bookings by source so you see real changes, not just ranking movement.

Are there ads in AI Mode?

Yes. Google is expanding ads in AI Mode to more countries and launching ads on follow-up questions in the U.S., labeled “Sponsored”. I wouldn’t treat ads as a substitute for an accurate profile and website, because the organic answer still depends on the information Google can find about you.

My bottom line on AI Mode and the map pack

I don’t think the map pack is going away. I think it’s turning into one of several sources Google reads before it writes an answer for your next patient. The practices that do well will be the ones whose facts are complete, consistent and easy for that answer to repeat.

So don’t wait for Google to retire the pack before you act. Clean up your profile, answer patient questions on your own pages, keep reviews coming, and check what AI Mode says about you every month. If you want help with that, read about my dental SEO services on Suraj Rana‘s site, or start with a free dental SEO audit from Dental Master Media.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, “AI features and your website”, accessed November 4, 2026. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features
2. Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to improve your local ranking on Google”, accessed November 4, 2026. https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091
3. Google, The Keyword (Hema Budaraju), “More ways to connect with the web from Search”, October 15, 2026. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/more-ways-to-connect-with-the-web-from-search/
4. Google, The Keyword (Miriam Daniel), “How we’re reimagining Maps with Gemini”, March 12, 2026. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/ask-maps-immersive-navigation/
5. Search Engine Roundtable (Barry Schwartz), “Google Expands Ads In AI Mode To More Countries & Multiturn Ads In U.S.”, October 28, 2026. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-expands-ads-ai-mode-42412.html
6. Search Engine Roundtable (Barry Schwartz), “Google Local Knowledge Panel As An AI Overview”, September 17, 2026. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-local-knowledge-panel-ai-overview-42105.html
7. Search Engine Roundtable (Barry Schwartz), “Google AI Overview Local Pack Leading To Huge Drops In Visibility”, January 16, 2026. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-overview-local-pack-drops-40773.html
8. Search Engine Roundtable (Barry Schwartz), “Google Tests Replacing Map Local Pack With AI Overviews”, May 5, 2025. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-map-pack-ai-overviews-39354.html
9. Whitespark (Miriam Ellis), “Whitespark’s Guide to Google’s AI Mode for Local Businesses”, May 22, 2026. https://whitespark.ca/guides/whitesparks-guide-to-googles-ai-mode-for-local-businesses/