Google AI Overview Local Pack Dropping Action Buttons, Photos & Reviews
Google is testing a stripped-back version of the AI Overview local pack that removes action buttons, reviews, photos, addresses and opening hours. The change makes it harder for searchers to call a business, get directions or visit its website directly from the search results.
Joy Hawkins flagged the test on X, noting that on mobile the traditional local pack disappears entirely whenever the AI version appears. She described it as the ugliest version of the AI Overview she has seen in local search and said she hopes it reverts soon. The test can be replicated and pulls data from Google Business Profiles while dropping many of their features.
For local businesses, the test reduces the paths from a search to a call, a direction request or a site visit, which is likely to hurt clicks and enquiries. Brands relying on local visibility should watch whether the stripped-back pack becomes permanent, since it changes what a Google Business Profile can deliver inside AI-generated answers.
Reported by Search Engine Roundtable ↗
Topics: AI Overviews, Google Search