Google AI Overviews 2026: why your trades business will disappear from search results

Google AI Overviews Precis

You've probably already seen it if you search for anything on Google yourself. At the top of the page, before the normal search results, there's a blue-grey block with an automatically generated answer. Google calls this AI Overviews. The system reads multiple websites simultaneously, extracts information from them, and writes a few sentences to answer what the searcher wants to know. Only after that come the regular search results, the blue links we've known for twenty years.

This sounds convenient for the searcher. And it is. But for you as an entrepreneur, it means something else. Those ordinary blue links now appear lower down the page. Sometimes significantly lower. People who read the answer at the top are less likely to click through. They've had their question answered without visiting your website. And without a website visit, there's no phone call, no quote request, no new customer.

Google rolled out AI Overviews in the US in 2024 and expanded them internationally in 2025, including the Netherlands. By 2026, they will be the new standard. They appear for informational searches like “how long does it take to replace a gutter” or “what does a painter charge per hour.” But they're also starting to pop up for commercial searches like “hire a painter Tilburg.” And that's when it becomes a problem for you too, as a local tradesperson.

What changes for local tradesmen

Suppose you've been scoring well for years with “klusbedrijf Oisterwijk” or “hovenier Tilburg”. Your site is in position 2 or 3. You receive weekly inquiries via Google. Good system, invested some money in SEO, it's going well. And then something changes that you don't see, but which makes your visitor flow weekly a little smaller.

Google is placing an AI answer above your results. Not always. But more often than before. And for those searches where previously 100 people clicked through to a website, perhaps 66 are clicking through now. The rest have read what they were looking for and move on. That sounds like a small drop, but when you add this up over a year with hundreds of searches, you're talking about dozens of missed contact opportunities.

For tradespeople, however, there is another effect that is discussed less often. AI Overviews sometimes cite specific companies. Google mentions a name, gives a short description, and links through. If you have a good Google Business Profile with many recent reviews, a complete website, and the right keywords, there's a chance you could end up in that AI block as a local tradesperson. But that doesn't happen automatically. You need to work towards it.

Which companies lose the most

Not every business is affected equally. There are clear patterns in which tradespeople and businesses suffer the most damage from AI Overviews, and it's almost always the same three types.

The first type is the company that has no website at all, or a website that hasn't been updated for years. Google can only use information that is available. If your website is outdated, has little text, or only consists of a homepage with your phone number, then there is nothing to write about. Google will then take the information from a competitor that does have a good site, and that competitor will be cited in the AI block. You won't be.

The second type is the business that has few or no Google reviews. AI Overviews for local searches rely heavily on a business's reputation signals. No reviews means no trust in the eyes of the system. Businesses with 50 or more recent reviews, spread over the past two years, are much more likely to be cited or rank highly in regular search results.

The third type is the company that is only vaguely described. If your website says “we do everything” without being specific about which services, in which region, for which type of client, then Google doesn't understand you well enough. A website that explicitly says “we are roofers in Breda and surrounding areas, active in Roosendaal, Etten-Leur and Bergen op Zoom, for private individuals and small businesses” gives the system the tools to link you to the correct search query.

How do you stay clearly visible nel 2026

The good news is that staying visible isn't necessarily complicated. It requires consistency and the right focus, but for a local tradesperson, the steps are clear. It's not about technical tricks or large advertising budgets. It's about having the basics in order, which you might already have in part, but not fully.

The first step is to treat your website as your business card in 2026, not in 2015. This doesn't mean you need an expensive redesign. It does mean that for each service you offer, there should be a separate page or section with real information. If you're a roofer, write about gutters, slates, bitumen, flat roofs, renovations, new builds, and the regions where you operate. This gives Google something to work with.

The second step is to systematically track reviews. Not asking a customer for a review a few times a year, but every time a job is completed successfully. Send a WhatsApp message with a direct link to your Google page. Ten reviews per year already makes a world of difference compared to a company that's had twelve reviews over four years.

The third step is to keep your Google Business Profile up to date. Opening times are correct, photos are recent, services are fully completed, and responses to reviews are given. The Google Business Profile is nowadays just as important as your website itself, perhaps more so, as it is the information source that Google consults first for local searches.

Google Maps is nu je main channel

There is a shift happening that most entrepreneurs haven't noticed yet. While regular organic search results are struggling with AI Overviews appearing above them, Google Maps has been relatively spared. The map and the three businesses Google shows for local searches, the so-called Local Pack, are still prominently visible.

Someone searching for “gardener Tilburg” or “painter Oisterwijk” nowadays sees a map displaying three businesses. Those three businesses appear at the top, more visible than any website, and in many cases, even above the AI Overview. If you're in that top three, your phone will ring. If you're not, you simply don't exist for that searcher.

To get into the top three, your Google Business Profile is key. The quantity and quality of your reviews count. The consistency of your NAP (name, address, phone number) details across the internet counts. And activity in your profile signals to Google that you are active. All those signals together determine whether you are in that top three or just outside it.

What you concrete things you can do this week

Much of what you need to remain visible in 2026 can be done yourself. Below is an honest priority list, from most impactful to least impactful. Start at the top and work your way down. Don't try to tackle everything at once, or you won't do anything thoroughly.

Check your Google Business Profile today. Log in to business.google.com and check that everything is correct. Opening hours, phone number, website, description, services. If anything is incorrect, fix it immediately. If your profile hasn't had a new photo added in over three months, add one.

Next, write for your website. Don't rewrite, expand. Choose the service you would prefer to do more of and write a full page about that service. Describe what you do, how you work, in which region you are active, and what a job typically costs. Companies that are transparent about prices and working methods are more often quoted by AI.

Next, plan a system for reviews. Prepare a WhatsApp message that you send after every job. And actually send it. Every time. Most customers who are satisfied respond positively to such a request, but they don't do it themselves.

Are you unsure where you stand? Ask for a free SEO check at TheSEO. We will look at your website, your Google profile, your reviews, and your position in the search results and give you concrete advice on what will have the most impact.

Frequently asked questions about Google AI Overviews