The demise of Google Business Profile Q&A and what is replacing it

It let potential customers ask questions directly on your Google listing, and it gave you a chance to reply publicly so future customers could see the answer too.

That is now changing.

Google has formally stopped supporting the system that powered Q&A, and the Q&A section is being removed from many listings and replaced with an AI style Ask option that generates answers.

If you are a business owner, this matters because customers will still ask questions, but the way those questions get answered is shifting.

What has changed in plain English

Google Business Profile Q&A is being phased out.
Instead of showing a public list of customer questions and answers, Google is moving towards an AI driven feature that gives people instant answers when they tap or click Ask.

So the customer’s experience changes from:

Ask a question, see answers written by people

To:

Tap Ask, get an answer generated instantly

Why Google is making this change

Google wants faster, more streamlined answers inside Search and Maps. Rather than waiting for someone to respond, Google can generate an answer immediately.

For the customer, that can feel convenient.

For the business owner, it creates a new risk: you no longer control the wording of the answer in the same way.

Why this matters for your business

1) You lose a place where you could reassure customers quickly

Q&A often handled questions like:

• Do you cover my area
• How much does it cost
• Do you offer weekends
• Do I need to book
• How long does it take

Those questions still exist, but the place where you could answer them openly is disappearing.

2) AI answers depend on what Google can find about your business

When an AI feature generates an answer, it needs something to base that answer on. Google will use information it can see, such as:

• Your Google Business Profile information
• Your website content
• Public information like reviews

If your website and your profile are not clear, the answer can be incomplete or inaccurate.

3) Customers make decisions quickly, and confusion loses enquiries

If a customer sees the wrong information about your opening times, service area, pricing, or what is included, they may not contact you at all. Or they may contact you with the wrong expectations, which wastes time and causes friction.

What you should do next

The simple takeaway is this:

Your website needs to become the main place where customer questions are answered clearly.

That way, when Google generates answers, it has accurate information to pull from, and customers also get clarity when they click through to your site.

Step 1: Add the right answers to the right pages

Instead of one generic FAQ page, add short Q&A sections to the pages customers actually use when deciding.

For example:

• On each service page: what is included, how long it takes, who it is for, what it costs, what to prepare
• On your contact or booking page: response times, deposits, cancellations, how to book
• On location pages: areas covered, travel charges, what counts as local

Step 2: Write the questions exactly as customers would ask them

Use headings like:

• Do you cover Swansea and the surrounding areas
• How much is a typical appointment
• How quickly can I get booked in
• What happens after I enquire

Then answer each one in a few clear sentences, followed by what to do next.

Step 3: Always include a call to action after the answer

After a customer gets clarity, make the next step obvious:

• Book now
• Request a quote
• Call today
• Send an enquiry

Step 4: Keep your Google listing and your website aligned

Make sure both match on the basics:

• Services offered
• Opening hours
• Service area
• Pricing guidance
• How to book

This helps prevent mixed messages, and it helps the AI style answers be more accurate.

The opportunity most businesses will miss

Many businesses relied on Google Q&A without ever improving their own website content. As Q&A disappears, those businesses will lose a useful trust building feature and replace it with something they have less control over.

The businesses that win will be the ones that:

• Put clear answers on their own website
• Keep their Google listing accurate and up to date
• Make it easy for customers to take action

How Macmillan Digital Services can help

This is exactly the sort of change that can quietly reduce enquiries if it is not handled properly.

Macmillan Digital Services can help you:

• Review and improve your Google Business Profile so it stays accurate and professional
• Identify the questions customers are most likely to ask before they contact you
• Add clear Q&A sections to your website service pages to improve trust and conversion
• Strengthen your content so you are easier to find and easier to choose

Next steps

If you want your business to stay visible and trusted as Google changes how questions are answered, the best next step is to make sure your website has the answers.

Google Business Profile management

GEO and content optimisation for AI search support

Book a discovery call