For restaurants, clinics, salons, gyms and shops, the Google Business Profile is often worth more than the website: it is what appears on Maps and in local search. In 2026 Google tightened its review rules, gave owners AI tools, and began answering local questions with AI in Maps.
The review rules changed
Google's Maps content policy now forbids two common practices:
- Asking staff to collect a set number of reviews.
- Asking customers for reviews that name a member of staff.
Both are widespread in the Gulf, where many businesses set review targets for staff. Penalties for fake or manipulated reviews include a pause on new reviews, hiding existing reviews for a period, and a public warning on the profile.
Google's numbers on fraud
In April 2026 Google said that in 2025 it blocked or removed 292 million reviews that broke its policies, out of more than a billion published, blocked 79 million bad edits to profiles, restricted 782,000 accounts and removed 13 million fake Business Profiles. It added:
- Earlier detection of review scams and extortion, with temporary review pauses and notices to customers.
- Gemini-based screening of edits to profiles, live worldwide.
- Email alerts to verified owners before suggested edits go live.
AI tools for owners
- Since June 2026 owners can connect their Business Profile to the Gemini app, which can answer questions about performance, draft review replies, and update opening hours or posts. Google says it is rolling out globally.
- Owners can review and reject information Google has collected about a business, including through automated calls or messages, in selected regions and categories.
- Trade reports say Business Profile data can now be linked into Google Analytics 4, with interactions, website clicks, calls, directions, messages, bookings and menu views. We could not find Google's own announcement.
Ask Maps
In March 2026 Google launched Ask Maps, which answers natural questions about places using Gemini and information on more than 300 million places. It started in the US and India and expanded in English to more than 150 countries and territories in August. We could not confirm that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are among them. The old questions and answers section of Business Profiles was retired at the end of 2025.
What has not changed
Google's help page still names three local ranking factors: relevance, distance and prominence, and says more reviews and positive ratings can help. Claims that AI only cites businesses with 150 or more reviews, or that local ranking now depends on popularity, come from blogs, not Google. A claim that video verification is required for most small businesses from July 2026 also has no Google source.
Several of Google's newest local features, including booking through AI Mode, Google calling businesses on a person's behalf, and new local carousels, are limited to the US or Europe for now.
A checklist for Gulf businesses
- Stop review targets for staff and requests that name staff members, and take them out of training material.
- Reply to reviews in the language they were written in, Arabic or English.
- Keep opening hours accurate through Ramadan and public holidays.
- Turn on alerts for suggested edits, and check the profile after any unexplained change.
- Add photos, menus, services and booking links, which feed both Maps and AI answers.
- For groups with many branches, audit every location, not only the flagship.
The GCC marketing calendar on this site lists Ramadan, Eid and national holidays, so opening hours can be updated before each one.
