Local Memo: Google Rolls Out New AI-Powered Local Q&A, Restores Review Counts, TikTok Returns

Google’s AI-Powered Local Q&A Rolling Out Broadly

At SOCi, we’ve noticed the broad rollout of a new AI feature in Google Search. Now, when a user searches for a business by name, a new section with the heading “Learn Something Specific” appears below “Popular Times,” prepopulated with six questions like “Are dogs allowed?” and “What are some popular dishes?” Tagged with the caveat “Generative AI is experimental,” this feature currently appears only on mobile.

Expanding each question reveals an AI-generated answer, sometimes with an accompanying photo, as well as a carousel of links to first-party and third-party sources. For example, a local bar and grill features questions like “Do they have a full bar?” The answer includes more than a simple yes: there are photos of the bar and links to the business website, the local chamber of commerce, and two more local city guides. Three carousel entries highlight excerpts from Google reviews with keywords like “large bar” and “full menu of drinks.”

Asking a new question like “Do they have vegan options?” quickly returns an answer sourced from another city guide as well as the note, “Based on Google data: Local info is compiled from a variety of sources.” It’s all quite similar to the “Ask Maps” feature recently added to Google Maps. For more on that, read the detailed review by Mike Blumenthal at Near Media.

In the desktop search version of the business profile, there is no corresponding section with AI answers. Instead, the Google Q&A section, absent on mobile, does appear, with a different list of questions accompanied by answers from Google users that are, arguably, much less thorough and not as helpful.

The new AI answers section (perhaps they’ll call it “Ask Search”?) appeared in many of the business categories we tested, including local restaurants and restaurant chains, coffee shops, hotels, tattoo parlors, beauty salons, apartment communities, and a large service franchise. In some cases, Google Q&A was also present. The feature did not appear for large retail chains or smaller retailers, grocery stores, moving companies, or florists.

“Learn something specific” for Rooster Creek Tavern

Google Q&A Likely on the Way Out

The writing appears to be on the wall: Google Q&A is on its way out, soon to be fully replaced by a much more robust and informative AI-powered alternative. Businesses need to be aware of the common questions that appear in this new section of the business profile, which stands a good chance of becoming more popular than the old Q&A feature ever was. Sources used by Google to answer common questions should be optimized where possible, and accurate answers to those questions should be easy to find on local landing pages and Google profiles.

Google Says It Has Fixed Review Count Errors

According to Search Engine Journal, Google is now saying that most businesses experiencing review count errors in their profiles should now see the proper counts restored. This is related to a bug uncovered last week that made it seem as though many businesses had lost legitimate reviews. However, the reviews were actually being miscounted, not deleted, hence the discrepancy in the overall review counts that appear at the top of business profiles.

This bug was, as far as we know, unrelated to Google’s ongoing effort to remove fake reviews using AI. Google’s statement says that “no reviews were unpublished” from the affected accounts, and that any businesses that do not see review counts restored in the next few days should contact support.

Keep Track of Your Reviews

Though this most recent review scare seems to be reaching an unusually swift resolution, it’s worth keeping in mind that reviews can indeed be removed from business profiles by Google if they are suspected to be fraudulent. Usually, businesses will receive an email notification from Google if a review is removed.

Still, it’s considered a good practice to take screenshots or otherwise keep track of the details of your reviews, just in case they go missing without a trace; doing so can help when working with Google to get missing reviews restored. Some platforms, like SOCi’s, have reporting and notification tools to allow easy reference to past reviews. To manually track your review count, try taking a monthly screenshot of the overall review count – you never know when it will come in handy. Setting a calendar reminder can help you do it regularly.

TikTok Is Available for Download Again

Users who already had TikTok on their phones may have been unaware that, from January 19 until last week, new users were unable to install the app because both Apple and Google removed it from their app stores. Now, after assurances from the new administration, the app has been restored by both companies. The new U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, sent letters to the companies assuring them that the ban “would not immediately be enforced,” according to reporting from Bloomberg.

TikTok’s Time Could Still Run Out

It may be back for now, but TikTok’s ultimate fate remains uncertain. The 75-day ban extension granted by President Donald Trump is due to expire on April 5. But the move to restore TikTok to app stores means its user base can continue to grow once more, and indicates a desire on the part of the U.S. government to work out a solution that allows the app to remain in operation.