Google tests a new guided Q&A for Business Profiles

Google is testing a Q&A button in the Business Profile dashboard that asks owners yes or no questions about their business, likely to feed its AI answers in Maps.

By Saifur Rifat 1 min read

What happened

Some owners saw a new Q&A button in the Business Profile dashboard in Google Search. It walks them through yes or no questions tailored to their business.

Why it matters

Google has been replacing public Q&A with AI answers in Maps. Those answers need facts, and this looks like a way to collect them from owners. What you confirm may be what Google tells customers.

What to do

Check your dashboard for a Q&A prompt
Answer accurately, because the answers may be shown to customers
Complete every attribute and service on your profile
Add the same facts to your website, such as parking, payment types and service areas

The details

The test was shared in screenshots by Syed Amir and reported on August 19. The coverage suggests the answers may feed Ask Maps, Google's AI feature that answers questions about a place. Google has not confirmed the test or how the data is used.

Our read

The direction is consistent with everything else this year. Google wants structured, first-hand facts about businesses so its AI can answer customer questions without sending them elsewhere. Owners who keep their profile complete will be described correctly. Owners who do not will be described from whatever Google can find, which may be outdated or wrong. Treat your profile as a fact sheet that needs the same care as your website.

Sources

Search Engine Roundtable: Business Profiles testing revamped Q&A

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