Google’s Gemini AI is peeling back the curtain on its internal understanding of local businesses, delivering structured insights that blend review data, menu highlights and venue vibes into concise previews. Spotted in early 2026 tests, these outputs challenge business owners to align their profiles with Google’s perceptions—or risk mismatched representations in AI-driven search.

Local SEO consultant Claudia Tomnia first highlighted the feature on LinkedIn, sharing a video of Gemini’s response to a query for the best sushi in Michigan. “I was convinced AI Mode was going to be Google’s AI-powered future for local search,” she wrote, before noting, “Take a look at how Gemini is interpreting your business.” The results featured novel sections like “People talk most about,” listing items such as omakase, sake and nigiri.

Executive Editor Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable amplified the discovery, observing that Gemini generates “new headlines and sections about your business” pulled from reviews and other signals. This revelation arrives amid broader Gemini integrations in search, signaling a shift toward interpretive AI summaries over raw listings.

Gemini’s Interpretive Sections Unpacked

The structured previews include “People love to order,” marked by star icons and details like a “generous portion of tuna” in a Michigan Roll. “Tips from reviewers” extracts practical advice, warning of small plates, loud atmospheres or touch-screen kiosks. Finally, “People go here for” categorizes spots by purpose, such as “impressing a date” or “grabbing a casual bite.” Tomnia emphasized these as distinct from Google Maps or local packs, appearing as a pre-view before traditional results.

LinkedIn commenters reinforced the implications. Greg Sterling called it a test, while Saqlain Zafar described the pivot from “where is it?” to “what’s it like?” PG stressed reviews’ role in nuanced AI recommendations. As Schwartz noted in Search Engine Roundtable, such details offer a mirror to Google’s business knowledge base.

This interpretive layer builds on Gemini’s December 2025 visual local results rollout, where the Gemini app began displaying photos, ratings and Maps data in rich formats for local queries. Google stated, “Starting today, Gemini can serve up local results in a rich, visual format. See photos, ratings, and real-world info from @GoogleMaps, right where you need them.”

Visual and Agentic Evolutions Accelerate

Schwartz covered the visual upgrade in another Search Engine Roundtable piece, urging businesses to optimize Google Business Profiles with fresh info and reviews. The feature’s emergence underscores Gemini’s growing role in local discovery, pulling from Maps for immersive previews.

Parallel developments include agentic capabilities in Google Search’s AI Mode. Search Engine Land reported on Gemini 2.5 Pro powering Deep Search and local calling, where users query “pet groomers near me” and select “Have AI check pricing.” Google consolidates call results into service options, available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. Google explained, “Deep Search is our most advanced research tool… issuing hundreds of searches, reasoning across disparate pieces of information and crafting a comprehensive, fully-cited report in minutes.”

These agentic tools, detailed in Search Engine Land, mark Google’s push into proactive assistance, calling businesses directly. As VP Robby Stein announced via Google’s X account, AI Mode expansions blend real-time data with Gemini for shopping and local planning.

Implications for Local SEO Strategies

Businesses must now audit Gemini outputs to ensure accurate interpretations. Tomnia’s post prompted calls to refine reviews for better tips and vibes, with Shahid Anwer noting Google’s vibe-first prioritization. Wil Reynolds on X critiqued LLM phone number accuracy, urging use of Google Business data over third-party sources like GetHuman.

Digital Trends echoed the visual upgrade’s discovery potential in its coverage, while Barry Schwartz’s X posts drove discussions on profile optimization. For insiders, this means prioritizing structured data, review volume and semantic alignment to shape AI narratives.

Google Maps itself previewed review summaries powered by Gemini, offering TL;DR overviews in app reviews sections, as shared on X. Combined with agentic calling, these evolutions position Gemini as a core local intelligence engine, demanding proactive profile management from marketers.

Testing Phases and Broader Rollouts

The interpretive feature appears in testing, absent from Maps or packs, per Tomnia. Sterling’s comment suggests caution, but rollout patterns—like the reposted visual announcement—hint at expansion. Search Engine Land’s Barry Schwartz noted subscriber-only access for advanced features, predicting wider availability.

X chatter from Reynolds and others highlights data fidelity issues, with only 20% phone match rates in LLMs. Yext warned of AI shifts favoring machine-readable local pages. As Google integrates Gemini 2.5 Pro for complex queries, local SEO pros face a future where AI interpretations dictate visibility.