DemandSphere, a search data company, tracks how often Google shows an AI Overview when someone searches a brand name. Here’s what its September data shows:
That means when a customer searches your business by name, Google’s AI is now likely writing them a short description of you. You didn’t write it, and you can’t edit it directly.
Source: DemandSphere, branded AI Overviews data, published Oct 1, 2026.
Someone who searches your exact business name is close to buying. They already know you. They’re checking your hours, your prices, or whether you’re legit.
If the summary they see has old hours, a wrong phone number, or a service you stopped offering, that’s the first impression. Some will call a competitor instead of scrolling down to check.
Search your name plus your town
For example, “Smith Plumbing Fort Mill.” Use a private browser window so your own history doesn’t skew it.
Read the summary word for word
Note anything wrong, outdated, or missing: hours, services, location, phone, price ranges.
Look at the links it cites
Google shows the pages it pulled from. Write down which ones are yours and which aren’t.
Search your main service plus your town
For example, “plumber Fort Mill.” See whether you’re mentioned at all.
Screenshot everything
Save it so you can compare next month.
You can’t edit an AI Overview. You can fix the places it learns from. Start with the ones you control:
- Your Google Business Profile. Hours, services, categories, description and phone number should be complete and current. Our Google Business Profile checklist walks through every field.
- Your website. Make sure each service has its own page that says clearly what you do, where, and for whom. A single vague homepage gives Google little to work with.
- Your listings. Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, the BBB and industry directories should all match your name, address and phone exactly.
- Your reviews. Recent reviews that mention your services and town give Google current, specific information about you.
- Any third-party page the summary cites that’s wrong. Contact the site and ask for a correction.
Want us to check it for you?
Our free audit looks at how your business shows up on Google, in Maps, and in AI tools like ChatGPT, and tells you what to fix first. In the Charlotte area? Here’s how we handle local SEO and AI visibility.