Google has introduced “Ask Maps”, a new AI-powered feature within Google Maps that turns local search into a conversation. Powered by Google Gemini, it allows users to ask more detailed, real-world questions and receive personalised, actionable recommendations directly on the map.
Instead of searching and scrolling through options, people can now describe what they’re looking for in their own words and get tailored suggestions, routes and insights instantly.
At its core, “Ask Maps” is designed to make discovering places feel more intuitive — and a lot more personal.
Results aren’t one-size-fits-all. They’re shaped by your past behaviour like where you’ve searched, saved or visited so Maps can suggest places that genuinely match your preferences.
Planning a journey becomes part of the conversation. You can ask for suggested stops along the way and get everything in one place; routes, travel times, and helpful tips pulled from millions of reviews and contributions across Google Maps.
Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, you can act on it straight away. Whether it’s booking reservations, saving a location for later, or sharing it with friends, it all happens within the same flow - no jumping between apps or tabs.
We’re seeing a change toward more natural, conversational queries, with keywords still playing an important role in many searches.
For brands, it’s increasingly about how well your business aligns with intent. Reviews, descriptions and content need to reflect real experiences and use cases, because that’s what AI is interpreting and matching against how people search and ask questions.
“Ask Maps” is another step toward AI-led discovery, where users move more quickly from question to recommendation – with less manual research in between.
In traditional search, you could scroll through a long list of results, compare options and make their own decision.
Now, with AI generated recommendations, that list is shrinking. Users may only see a 3–5 of suggested plans, presented as the “best options”. That means:
For local SEO, this puts greater importance on quality signals. Strong consistent reviews, relevant categories, accurate information and engaging imagery all play a role in whether your business is surfaced. If your online presence isn’t fully optimised, you’re far less likely to make the shortlist.
Your Google Business Profile becomes your shop window in an AI discovery world. Ask Maps pulls heavily from this data to understand what your business offers, who it is for and whether it is a good fit for a specific query.
For an SEO standpoint, this builds on the existing important of your presence within Google’s ecosystem – particularly your Google Business Profile.
Driving traffic to your website still matters but features like “Ask Maps” place even greater emphasis on how well your profile is optimised. If your profile isn’t complete, active and reflective of your offering, you’re far less likely to appear in AI-driven recommendations.
We’re seeing a continued move towards zero-click behaviour, with nearly 60% of Google searches ending without a click through to a website. This is especially true within local search and Maps, where users are already reviewing options directly in-platform and in many cases, going straight to a location, whether that’s a shop, restaurant or venue, without ever visiting a website.
Users don’t need to:
Google is doing that for them. Which means brands need to win inside the ecosystem, not just drive traffic out of it.
Ask Maps is already rolling out in the US and India, available across Android and iOS devices. We expect to see desktop versions roll out soon, and it's likely only a matter of time before it reaches the UK too.
While "Ask Maps" is already live, it's still early days and there are a few important things to understand about where it sits today, and where it's likely going.
Right now, the experience is contained within Google Maps. There’s no integration with wider Search features like"
But realistically, this feels like a starting point. As Google continues to evolve its AI ecosystem, it’s easy to see this becoming part of a much more connected, conversational search experience across all products.
Ads aren’t part of the experience yet. There are no sponsored placements or paid prioritisation within recommendations. That said, Google hasn’t ruled this out, and it’s likely only a matter of time before commercial opportunities are introduced. When that happens, we can expect new local ad formats, premium placements within AI-driven recommendations and increased competition for visibility.
Looking ahead, personalisation will play a bigger role too. As Google Gemini continues to evolve, recommendations are likely to become more tailored, shaped by user preferences, past behaviour and real-time context like location or time of day. In short, the Maps experience could become increasingly unique to each individual user.
All of this points to a bigger shift: a move toward a fully integrated =, AI-led discovery experience where search, maps and decision-making are seamlessly connected.
And for brands, that raises an important question: how do you earn visibility in that environment and where does paid media start to play a role alongside organic presence?
A few practical steps:
If “Ask Maps” is a sign of where things are heading (and it is), now’s a good time to take a closer look at how your business shows up locally.
We help brands understand how visible they really are across Google, from your Google Business Profile to reviews, content and local search performance and where there are gaps or missed opportunities.
Our Local Search Audit gives you a clear view of:
If you’d like us to take a look, get in touch and we’ll talk you through it.