If you’ve Googled anything lately, you’ve seen them: the AI-written summaries sitting at the top of the results page. For local businesses, the big question is whether they’re stealing customers. The answer depends on what people are searching for.

The short version: for searches like “roofer in Duluth,” Google still mostly shows the map pack. For questions like “how much does a new roof cost in Minnesota,” AI Overviews take over. Local businesses need a plan for both.

What the data says

Whitespark studied 540 local business searches across six industries and found a clear split based on what the searcher wanted:

Type of search	Example	AI Overview shown	Map pack shown
Local intent	“plumbers in Phoenix”	15%	93%
Informational	“how much do lawyers charge?”	92%	6%
Hybrid	“cost of dental implants in Phoenix”	97%	17%

Across all the searches in the study, AI Overviews appeared 68% of the time. And they cost clicks. SparkToro’s analysis of early 2026 search data found that 68% of U.S. Google searches ended without a click, and that AI Overviews cut click-through rates by nearly 60% on the searches where they appeared.

We saw the same pattern close to home. When we searched “best roofing companies in Duluth MN” this fall, Google showed ads and a map pack, with no AI Overview at all.

What this means for your business

The map pack still matters most when people are ready to hire

When someone searches a service plus a town, they still tend to see the map pack. Your Google Business Profile, your reviews, and how close you are to the searcher drive that. Don’t neglect it while chasing AI.

Research questions now go to AI Overviews

Before people pick up the phone, they ask questions. What does it cost? How long does it take? Do I need a permit? When’s the best time of year to do it? Those searches increasingly get an AI-written answer. If your website answers them well, you have a shot at being one of the cited sources. If it doesn’t, a national blog or directory gets the credit, and the customer’s first impression.

Most citations go to third-party sites

In Whitespark’s study, about 60% of AI Overview citations pointed to third-party publishers rather than the businesses themselves. Directories, review sites, and local media carry real weight.

What to do about it

1. Keep your Business Profile complete and current. Categories, services, hours, photos, and a steady stream of new reviews.
2. Write the cost and how-to pages your customers want. A “What does a new roof cost in Duluth?” page with real ranges and the factors that change them is exactly the kind of thing AI Overviews pull from.
3. Put the answer first. Open each page or section with a direct two- or three-sentence answer, then explain the details.
4. Use local specifics. Mention the towns you serve, local conditions (frost depth, lake-effect snow, seasonal demand), and local permit rules. Generic national content can’t do that.
5. Get mentioned elsewhere. Chamber listings, local news, industry directories, and community forums all feed the sources AI Overviews cite.

What about Google’s AI Mode?

AI Mode is Google’s chat-style search. It’s still a small slice of searches (SparkToro found only a fraction of a percent of searches moved to AI Mode in early 2026), but it’s a preview of where things are heading.

When we tried the same Duluth roofing search in AI Mode, it gave a detailed rundown of six local roofers, grouped by what each one was best at: one-day installs, storm damage and insurance claims, or specialty materials like slate and metal. Its descriptions leaned heavily on themes from each company’s Google reviews. The takeaway: reviews and a clearly defined specialty carry a lot of weight.

A quick self-check

Search for three or four questions your customers ask before they hire you, typed the way they’d type them. For example:

• “how much does it cost to replace a furnace in Duluth”
• “do I need a permit for a deck in Superior WI”
• “best time of year to pave a driveway in Minnesota”

If an AI Overview appears, look at which sites it cites. If none of them are local businesses, that’s an opening. A clear, well-organized page on your site that answers the question better, with local details a national site can’t match, is how you earn one of those spots.

The bottom line

AI Overviews haven’t replaced the map pack for “near me” searches, but they’ve taken over the research that happens before someone decides who to call. The businesses that win both are the ones with a strong Business Profile and a website that answers real questions clearly.

Want to see how your business shows up in AI answers? Request a free AI visibility check, or read our plain-English explainer on generative engine optimization.