A massive shift just happened in the world of local search, and if you haven't checked your Google Business Profile (GBP) lately, you might be in for a surprise. Google has officially begun removing the traditional "Questions & Answers" section—the crowd-sourced area where customers asked questions and business owners (or random strangers) provided answers.

In its place, Google is rolling out an AI-powered "Ask" module. This isn't just a UI change; it is a total transformation of how customers discover your business. Instead of browsing a list of old questions, users now interact with an AI (powered by Gemini) that generates instant answers.

The kicker? That AI is pulling its answers directly from your website content, your reviews, and your business description.

At Bolder Apps, we specialize in helping businesses navigate these seismic shifts in technology. If you want to control what Google tells your customers, you can no longer leave it to chance. You have to control the inputs.

The Death of the "Babysat" Q&A

For years, managing a GBP meant "babysitting" the Q&A section—reporting spam, answering the same question for the tenth time, and hoping a competitor didn't leave a misleading response.

Google’s move to an AI "Ask" button solves the "stale information" problem, but it creates a new challenge for Product and Marketing teams: Narrative Control.

When a customer asks, "Do they offer emergency repairs on Sundays?" or "What is the typical turnaround time for a custom app?", they aren't looking for a webpage link. They want an answer. If that answer isn't clearly stated on your site, Google’s AI might:

1. Hallucinate based on vague info.
2. Pull an answer from a competitor’s site (if they are mentioned in a comparison).
3. Say "I don't know," leading the customer to click on the next business in the Map Pack.

How the New Google AI Pipeline Works

The path from a customer’s brain to a conversion has changed. It now looks like this:

Your Content → Google AI Processing → Customer Output

To win in this new environment, you need to optimize every step of that pipeline. Here is how to ensure your business remains the authoritative source for its own information.

1. The Power of the Dedicated FAQ Page

If you don’t have a dedicated FAQ page, you are effectively silent in the eyes of Google’s AI.

Strategy: Create a page that mirrors the exact natural language questions people ask. Don't use corporate jargon. If people ask, "How much does a new roof cost?", don't title your section "Investment Variables for Residential Roofing." Title it: "How Much Does a New Roof Cost in [Your City]?"

2. Inject "Proof Points" Throughout Your Site

AI is a pattern-recognition engine. If it sees a specific fact repeated across multiple high-authority pages of your site, it marks that fact as "highly probable" and "trustworthy."

Pro Tip: Add 2–3 strong proof points in your footer, your "About" page, and your service pages.

• “Over 500+ mobile apps launched for startups worldwide.”
• “Ranked #1 App Development Agency in [City] for 3 consecutive years.”
• “98% client retention rate via our dedicated support pods.”

When the AI "scans" your site to answer a question about your reliability, it will regurgitate these exact stats to the customer.

3. Tackle the "Cost" Elephant in the Room

Many businesses avoid putting prices on their website because "it depends." In the AI era, this is a mistake.

If a customer asks the AI about your pricing and your site is silent, Google may pull price data from a third-party directory or a review from three years ago. The Fix: Give a range. "Custom mobile app development typically ranges from $25,000 to $150,000 depending on features." This gives the AI a factual anchor to use, keeping the customer in your funnel.

Who This Affects (and What They Should Do)

For the Marketing Team:

The "Ask" button is your new storefront. You need to perform a Content Audit. Ask yourself: If I were an AI trying to explain my business in 3 sentences, do I have the raw data on my site to do it accurately?

• Action: Audit your "Services" descriptions. Ensure they are detailed and use the terms customers actually use.

For the Dev & SEO Team:

Schema Markup is no longer optional. Using FAQPage schema tells Google's AI exactly which text is a question and which is the answer. It’s like giving the AI a cheat sheet.

• Action: Implement JSON-LD schema for FAQs and LocalBusiness details to ensure the AI "reads" your site correctly.

Controlling the Outputs by Mastering the Inputs

Local SEO is shifting from "keywords" to "entities and answers." Google wants to be an Answer Engine, not just a Search Engine.

By building a robust, question-focused content architecture, you aren't just helping your organic rankings; you are training the AI that interacts with your customers on Google Maps every single day.

At Bolder Apps, we don't just build software; we build digital presences that are optimized for the future of search. We understand that your website is the "Brain" that feeds the AI, and we ensure that brain is healthy, structured, and ready to convert.

Conclusion: Don't Let AI Guess About Your Business

The removal of GBP Q&As is a wake-up call. Google is taking more control over the user interface, which means you must take more control over your data. If you aren't providing the answers, someone else—or a robot—will.

Is your website ready to feed the Google AI?

If your current site is a digital brochure rather than a dynamic answer engine, you're losing leads to competitors who have already made the switch. At Bolder Apps, we help you bridge the gap between "classic SEO" and the new AI-driven reality.

Let’s audit your digital footprint and ensure your brand’s narrative is the one Google repeats.

👉 Work with Bolder Apps to Future-Proof Your Digital Presence Strategic development and SEO solutions for a bold new era.