Google Business Profile Agents Are Coming

Local SEOs have long shouted the importance of maintaining a comprehensive and active Google Business Profile. In Propellic’s ground breaking AI Mode study, we noted the prominence of GBPs in search results with local intent. Now, AI is entering the local business realm from another angle and local travel operators must pay attention in order to ensure visibility.

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Google Ask Maps is a new AI-powered feature, launched in select US locations in late 2024, which is effectively meant to replace the traditional, often stagnant, Q&A section found in Google Business Profiles and Google Maps. It enables users to ask natural-language questions in the search bar to find, for example, "the best walking tour in [you name the place]" with results prioritized by up-to-date Google Business Profile data. Local results are returned in much the same fashion and format as they are today.

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However, Google has also more recently launched a feature called Business Agent in its Merchant Center, which offers users a conversational experience in Google Search enabling shoppers to chat directly with your brand. You can even customize the agent to match your brand voice.

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Business Agent pulls information from a brand’s website and its Merchant Center data, which enables it to give helpful, context-driven answers. This tool is using the Gemini LLM to analyze product data and any other business information you provide. I and others anticipate this same Agent functionality will be coming to Google Business Profiles in the not too distant future.

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These two features, and particularly Business Agent, represent a fundamental shift from "Search" to "Conversation," where Google is no longer just an informational directory, but an active concierge. For local travel operators like tour companies and hotel owners, the introduction of Gemini-powered agents means your digital presence is no longer just for human eyes, it is now the "training manual" for the AI deciding whether or not to recommend you to a high-intent traveler.

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For local operators, the "Ask Maps" evolution will drastically change how bookings are won. Instead of a user scrolling through dozens of reviews to see if a hotel is "quiet at night" or if a tour "allows for strollers," they will simply ask the AI. If your Google Business Profile (GBP) and website do not explicitly contain these granular details, the AI agent will either hallucinate a response or, more likely, pass you over for a competitor who has provided the data. This "concierge-style" interaction moves the goalposts from ranking for broad keywords like "hotels in Miami" to winning specific, long-tail conversational queries such as "find me a boutique hotel near the beach offering vegan breakfast and has a workspace with fast Wi-Fi."

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To respond effectively, travel operators must pivot toward data mastery. You should treat every section of your Google Business Profile, especially the Categories, Services, Products, and Update sections—as a key data point being consumed by an LLM bot. Don't just list a "Boat Tour"; list "2-hour Sunset Catamaran Tour"

Regularly updating Google Posts is no longer just for "engagement"; it serves as fresh "ingestion material" for the AI to understand your current offerings, seasonal changes, and operational status. The content published on your website and GBP needs to answer the hyper-specific questions a guest might have.

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Further, to assist Gemini and other LLMs, the technical foundation of this new era is structured schema markup. By using schema markup for specific entities like Tours/Products, Itineraries/TouristTrips, HotelRooms, and VacationRentals you are essentially handing LLM bots a clean, machine-readable map of your business. This ensures when an AI agent queries your data to answer a potential guest, it doesn't have to guess. High-quality, detailed website content covering "the tiny details", from special amenities to specific room views, will be the differentiator enabling an agent to confidently move a user from "asking" to "booking."

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Lastly, the ability to customize your brand voice within these agents offers businesses an opportunity to maintain brand identity within the Google ecosystem. For boutique hotels and niche tour operators, your "voice", be it adventurous, luxury, or family-friendly, can now be projected through the AI. This means your response strategy shouldn't just be about data, but about tone. Ensuring your website copy and GBP descriptions reflect your unique brand personality will help the Business Agent interact with customers in a way which feels like an extension of your physical front desk, rather than a generic automated bot.

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Business Agent hasn’t reached GBPs yet, but will your business be prepared when it does?

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