Google made several changes to Maps and Business Profiles in September 2026. Five of them matter for a local business, and most take a few minutes to act on.
The changes below were tracked by local search firm Sterling Sky, which logs Google's local updates as they happen.
1. People must sign in to see all your reviews
Google Maps now requires a Google account sign-in to view a business's full list of reviews. Someone browsing without signing in sees only part of them.
What to do: Your star rating and your most recent reviews carry more weight, since those are what everyone sees. Keep asking happy customers for reviews every week so the newest ones are always fresh.
2. You have four days to reject a suggested edit
Anyone can suggest a change to your profile: your hours, your phone number, even your business name. Google has confirmed owners get four days to reject a suggested edit.
What to do: Turn on email notifications for your profile and check them. A wrong phone number or "closed" hours can cost you calls for weeks before you notice.
3. Google now warns you about spam review spikes
Google has started emailing business owners when its systems detect a burst of spam reviews on their profile.
What to do: Make sure the email address tied to your profile is one you actually read. If you get an alert, report the reviews from your profile right away.
4. Phone numbers in Google Posts must be verified
Google updated its rules so a phone number can appear in a Google Post only if it is a verified number for the business.
What to do: If you put a tracking number or a second line in your posts, switch to the verified number on your profile, or the post may be rejected.
5. Google is testing AI summaries in place of your profile panel
In a test, Google is showing some business profiles as an AI Overview, a written summary generated from your profile, reviews and website. This is a test, not a full rollout, and it may not reach everyone.
What to do: The AI can only summarize what it can find. Fill in every section of your profile: services, description, hours, photos. Make sure your website says clearly what you do and where.
The 15-minute checkup
- Confirm your hours, phone number and address are correct.
- Check which email gets your profile notifications.
- Add three new photos from this month.
- Reply to every review from the last 30 days.
- Ask two customers for a review this week.
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a local customer sees, before your website and before your social media. It is free, and most of your competitors neglect it.
NexWealthMedia helps Chicago-area shops get found and get booked through content and ads. See our work or get in touch.