Google AI Mode: What every DIYer and painter needs to know now

What is Google AI Mode Precis?

Imagine: someone is in their bathroom with a leaking tap. They grab their phone, film the tap, type “who can fix this now” and Google doesn't give them a list of websites. Google directly gives them three plumbers in their neighbourhood, with a button to call them directly or book an appointment.

That's Google AI Mode. No clicking through pages, no visiting websites. Just describe or film a problem and the AI takes care of the rest.

AI Modus went live in the Netherlands in October 2025. It is a separate search interface, distinct from normal search results and also separate from AI Overviews. The major difference lies here: AI Modus doesn't just provide information. AI Modus acts on behalf of the user. It searches for a business, checks if it's available via your Google Business Profile, and immediately offers an action. Calling, booking, getting in touch.

For you as a DIYer, painter, or gardener, this means that if your Google Business Profile (GBP) isn't in order, you'll be invisible in this search flow. Not less visible, simply not present. AI selects businesses based on GBP data, and if that data is missing or outdated, you'll be skipped.

How does it work for DIYers and painters?

The customer has a problem. A leaky roof, a worn-out painted wall, an overgrown garden. That customer is no longer searching for “painter Amsterdam price”. That customer is saying into their phone: “which painter in my area can do my living room next week?” and Google AI Mode provides an immediate answer. Not a list of ten results, but a selection of companies that meet the search criteria.

How does the AI make that selection? Based on your GBP data. How up-to-date are your opening hours? Do you have photos of your work? Are there reviews and do you respond to them? Is your phone number clickable and correct? Is your category in GBP specific enough, i.e. not “contractor” but “interior painter” or “facade renovation”?

Customers who search via AI Mode also ask 40% more follow-up questions than those using standard search. This means that the interaction lasts longer, but also that the customer is more specific. If someone finds their way to your business via AI Mode, that person has already gone through several steps. The likelihood of conversion is therefore higher than with standard organic search. That customer already knows what they want, has already checked whether you are available, and just needs a little confirmation.

What also stands out is that the search queries themselves are, on average, three times longer than with normal searching. Nobody searches for “painter” anymore. “Painter available in Tilburg next week exterior garage two coats white” is what people type or speak into AI Mode. The more specifically your GBP is set up, the better you will match these kinds of long, intent-rich search queries.

AI Modus vs AI Overviews: the difference

Many entrepreneurs think that AI Mode is the same as AI Overviews, which are the grey summaries that Google has been placing above search results for some time. They are not, and the difference is significant enough to discuss separately.

AI Overviews are informative. They give you a summary of what's on the web about a particular topic. Your blog can be included in these, which is valuable for your discoverability as a knowledge partner. However, AI Overviews still require the user to click through and make decisions themselves. The information is there, but the user has to take the action.

AI Mode is different. AI Mode is agentic, meaning it acts on behalf of the user. It's not a summary, but an assistant that finds a business for the customer, checks availability, and proposes an action. Think of how Google Maps works, but integrated into the search query itself and driven by an AI that understands exactly what the customer means.

For the customer, this is simply easier. They don't have to click, compare, or think about which website to trust. The AI does that for them. For you as a business owner, it means the rules of the game are different. With AI Overviews, you want good content on your website. With AI Mode, you want a watertight Google Business Profile real photos of your work. Two different things, two different approaches.

GBP optimisation The basis for AI Mode

Your Google Business Profile is the gateway for AI Mode. If that profile is incorrect, incomplete, or lacks much information, your business simply won't be selected. It sounds harsh, but it's the reality of how this AI works.

Opening times are the first thing you need to get sorted. AI Mode checks in real-time if you are currently available. If your opening times are correct but you are also reachable outside of those times, that is still lost revenue. Make sure your times are exact and update them for public holidays or holidays.

Categories are the second focus. “Contractor” is too broad. “Interior painter”, “roof renovation”, “gardener landscaping”, “plumber emergency service”: these are the categories that AI Mode matches with the customer's search query. The more specific you are, the better the match. You can set multiple categories in GBP, use that space fully.

Reviews are the third point of focus. AI Mode factors in review sentiment during selection. Not just the average star rating, but also whether the business owner responds to reviews. A company that doesn't reply to reviews scores lower. A company that responds within 24 hours, even to negative reviews, scores higher. Scroll through your reviews today and respond to every message you haven't replied to yet.

Adding services is the fourth point that many entrepreneurs skip. In GBP you can add services with a description per service. AI Mode reads these descriptions and matches them with the customer's search query. “Exterior painting including primer and finish” is more specific than “painting.” More specific means easier to find.

Visual E-E-A-T why photos are crucial now

This might well be the most concrete insight of the past few months: businesses without good photos in their GBP are invisible in AI Mode. Not less visible, literally invisible.

Google calls this Visual E-E-A-T. E-E-A-T stands for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, but then demonstrated via images instead of text. Not via an “about us” page on your website, but via real photos in your GBP profile. Photos of your work, taken on location, that demonstrate that you actually do what you say you do.

What works: photos of completed jobs, preferably before and after. Photos of yourself at work, with your face visible. Geotagged photos, which are photos containing location data. Your phone does this automatically if location access is enabled for the camera. And recent photos. Photos from three years ago count for less than photos from last month.

What no longer works: stock photos of paintbrushes or tools. A single profile photo from 2019. Photos without context, just a van in a car park. An empty photo gallery with the placeholder “add photos to your profile”.

Google's reasoning is simple. If an AI is looking for a tradesperson on behalf of a customer, that AI wants to be sure that the company is actually active and does good work. Photos are the quickest proof that an algorithm can process. You can make up text, but not photos of real jobs. That is precisely why Google is now focusing so heavily on this.

What are you doing today?

You don't have to do all of this in one day. But starting somewhere is better than waiting until the competition has already done it. Here is a concrete action plan you can go through in an hour.

Step one: log in to your Google Business Profile via business.google.com and check your primary category. Is it specific enough? If not, adjust it and add secondary categories.

Step two: add at least five recent job photos. Real work, real locations. Also include a photo of yourself. People book people, not logos.

Step three: check your opening hours. Are they correct for this week? For upcoming holidays? Adjust them if necessary.

Step four: open the “Services” tab in GBP and add a short description for each service. Two or three sentences per service is enough. Be specific about what you do and where.

Step five: send three regular customers a WhatsApp message. Something like: “Could you leave a review on Google? It would really help me out, it only takes two minutes.” It works surprisingly well when you ask personally.

Would you like to know where you currently stand in the AI Mode ranking? TheSEO offers a free GBP check where we show you exactly what's missing and how to fix it. No sales pitch, just an honest overview.

Frequently asked questions about Google AI Mode