Calls and clicks keep falling as Google Maps becomes the destination

In February, we wrote that section rankings were holding dependable while calls and website clicks softly disappeared. By April, our information pointed to thing overmuch much dramatic, capable that we declared “local SEO” was dying connected shape astatine BrightonSEO.

We were incorrect astir the scale.

Q1 information was revised retrospectively. After testing the corrected numbers against a afloat 2nd quarter, we recovered a clearer, much circumstantial communicative than either type suggested.

Why Q1 looked for illustration a crisis

Sterling Sky and Jepto’s analysis of 179 Google Business Profiles recovered that AI-powered section packs often show conscionable 2 businesses alternatively of three, often without a click-to-call button, and aboveground only 32% arsenic galore unsocial businesses arsenic the accepted Map Pack. Most rank trackers couldn’t spot immoderate of it.

Joy Hawkins, Claudia Tomina, and Matt McGee were independently reporting the aforesaid pattern: rankings held dependable while capacity declined.

Our first reference of the Q1 data, presented astatine BrightonSEO successful April, looked moreover much severe. Actions and impressions appeared to person fallen by astir half crossed our U.S. portfolio. The driblet was melodramatic capable that we advised immoderate agency customers to put successful paid search.

It didn’t clasp up.

The corrected Q1 number, and what Q2 adds

Rechecking Q1 revealed a overmuch little melodramatic picture. Year complete year:

• U.S. website clicks and calls each fell 15.8%, while guidance requests roseate 31.3%.
• Desktop Search impressions accrued 12.3%.
• Mobile Search impressions fell 20.6%.
• Desktop Maps impressions declined 17.9%.

We don’t put overmuch weight connected the mobile Maps fig alone. A mini number of ample advertisers tin importantly displacement that metric.

Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025, corrected year-over-year Google Business Profile performance. (Source: GMBapi data)

Q2 information tests that corrected the baseline.

U.S. calls and website clicks are still falling, down 11.9% and 12.5%, and guidance requests are still growing, up 21.1%, each 3 decelerating against Q1’s sharper moves.

The standout alteration is desktop Maps: down 17.9% successful Q1, up 3.2% successful Q2, a genuine reversal, circumstantial to the US. Mobile Maps impressions are up 30.4%, desktop hunt is up 13.9%, and mobile hunt is down 20.1%, capable connected its ain to erase the different gains.

Q2 2026 vs. Q2 2025, year-over-year Google Business Profile capacity crossed the US, EU and UK. (Source: GMBapi data)

Our publication is that U.S. customers are progressively completing the full travel wrong Google Maps alternatively than starting connected a hunt results page. The reversal successful desktop Maps impressions suggests that the displacement is nary longer constricted to mobile.

Two ranking systems and reviews arsenic the connective tissue

Traditional Maps rankings still trust connected proximity, relevance, engagement, and prominence. The signals down AI Mode and Gemini differ: web context, entity matching, marque authority, and reappraisal sentiment are layered connected apical of the Google Business Profile.

One strategy determines whether you look connected the map. The different determines whether Google’s AI trusts what it knows astir your business capable to reply a customer’s mobility directly, without a click.

Reviews are becoming the earthy worldly for that 2nd system. Google now prompts reviewers pinch system tags specified arsenic atmosphere, price, and cleanliness, alternatively than relying solely connected free text, and besides encourages customers to reappraisal businesses they’ve visited.

It’s building cleaner information truthful its AI tin reply questions without sending users to a website first — a plausible mentation for guidance requests rising while calls and website clicks decline.

The EU and UK aren’t a slower type of the US

The image extracurricular the U.S. is different. In the EU, desktop Maps impressions fell faster successful Q2, dropping from -16.5% successful Q1 to -34.7%, moreover arsenic guidance requests continued to grow, slowing from +21.7% to +13.1%.

The U.K.’s smaller dataset showed the other reversal. Mobile Maps impressions swung from +22.4% successful Q1 to -70.8% successful Q2, while guidance requests and website clicks continued to rise.

Neither marketplace appears to beryllium simply trailing the U.S. They’re pursuing different paths.

Rank search unsocial won’t show you this

SOCi’s 2026 Local Visibility Index recovered AI platforms urge acold less locations than Google’s 3-pack: 1.2% connected ChatGPT, 7.4% connected Perplexity, and 35.9% connected Google. A cardinal logic is floor plan accuracy, which averages 68% connected ChatGPT and Perplexity versus 100% connected Gemini, which pulls straight from Google Maps data. MCP covered the study successful detail.

Reviews matter here, too. Locations recommended by ChatGPT mean 4.3 stars, while those recommended by Perplexity mean 4.2, suggesting reappraisal value is becoming a gross for AI recommendations, not conscionable a ranking signal.

What this intends for your reporting

If your reporting still leads pinch telephone volume, you’re measuring only portion of the customer journey. Direction requests merit adjacent weight. Businesses pinch the astir complete, meticulous Google Business Profile information seizure much of the remaining clicks, calls, and directions.

For multi-location brands, agencies, and SMBs focused connected the bottommost of the funnel, section SEO has grown up. It’s starting to look a batch much for illustration SEO.

More item connected GMBapi’s Q2 Local SEO inclination information is disposable here.