Google Just Changed How Local Businesses Show Up In Search (And What You Need To Do About It)

Remember when getting your business on Google meant just claiming your Google My Business listing and hoping for the best? Those days are over.

Google rolled out a major update in February 2026 that fundamentally changed how local businesses get found online. If you’re a small business owner—whether you run a plumbing company, law firm, restaurant, or gym—this update affects you. Let me break down what happened and what you need to do about it.

What Changed (And Why It Matters)

Think of Google like a really smart assistant that’s been learning how people actually search for local businesses. Instead of just looking at your website and business listing, Google now pays attention to:

What your customers are saying about you — Not just star ratings, but the actual words in your reviews. When someone writes “John fixed our leaking toilet in under an hour,” Google understands you’re good for emergency plumbing, not just any plumbing.

How people interact with your listing — When searchers click to call you, get directions, or look at your photos, Google sees that as a vote of confidence. The more engagement, the better your visibility.

Where you are compared to landmarks — This one’s wild. Google now gives directions like “turn right after the post office” instead of “turn right in 200 meters.” If your business is near a well-known landmark, that’s suddenly valuable.

The total picture, not just individual pages — Google looks at your whole online presence: your website, reviews, citations, social media mentions—everything. It’s evaluating whether you’re genuinely an authority in your area.

The February 2026 Core Update: What’s Actually Happening

Google dropped their February 2026 core update on February 1st, and it’s doing two major things:

1. Cracking Down on Low-Quality AI Content

If you’ve been using AI to pump out generic blog posts like “10 Tips for Choosing a Plumber” without adding real insight, Google’s onto you. The update is demoting sites that rely on mass-produced, cookie-cutter content.

What to do instead: Use AI as a starting point, but add your experience, your specific examples, your local knowledge. A post about “Why Tampa Homes Need Different Plumbing Approaches Than Northern Homes” with actual examples from your work? That’s valuable.

2. Rewarding Genuine Expertise

Google wants to rank businesses that clearly demonstrate they know their stuff. This means:

• Comprehensive coverage of your services (not just one generic “Services” page)
• Consistent publishing in your niche
• Clear expertise and trust signals
• Strong internal linking between related content

If you’re a kitchen remodeler in Orlando, having separate pages for “Kitchen Cabinet Installation,” “Countertop Replacement,” “Kitchen Lighting Design,” and “Full Kitchen Renovations” beats one generic “Kitchen Services” page every time.

What This Means For Your Local Business

Let’s make this practical. Here’s what’s happening on the ground:

Your Google Business Profile Became Way More Important

Your primary category selection is huge. If you’re a digital marketing agency that mostly does SEO work, don’t pick the broad “Marketing Agency” category. Pick “SEO Agency” or “Internet Marketing Service.” Match your category to what brings in revenue.

Complete every single field. Empty fields = missed opportunities. Add your services, hours, attributes (dog-friendly? outdoor seating? wheelchair accessible?), photos—everything Google offers.

Reviews Now Work Like Free Advertising

Here’s the thing: Google reads your reviews.

A review saying “Great service!” is nice. A review saying “They fixed our AC in Tampa in under 2 hours on a Saturday and explained why our old unit kept breaking down” tells Google you’re relevant for emergency AC repair, weekend service, and Tampa specifically.

Action item: After every job, ask happy customers for a detailed review mentioning the specific service and area. Make it easy with a direct link.

Your Website Needs Real Content

Every service you offer should have its own page with:

• FAQs answering real questions — “How quickly can you come out?” “Do you charge for quotes?” “What areas do you cover?”
• Pricing context — You don’t need exact prices, but give ranges or starting points
• Your process explained — Walk them through what working with you looks like
• Location-specific details — Mention neighborhoods, landmarks, local characteristics

Example: A plumber in Winter Park shouldn’t just say “We serve Orlando.” Say “We serve Winter Park, Baldwin Park, College Park, and surrounding Central Orlando neighborhoods—usually within 30 minutes of your call.”

The AI Search Shift

People aren’t typing “plumber Orlando” anymore. They’re asking their phone:

• “Who can fix my toilet tonight?”
• “Find me a plumber near me that works weekends”
• “What’s the best Italian restaurant in Winter Park with outdoor seating?”

Your content needs to answer these conversational questions, not just target keywords.

How Orange Rock Media Helps You Navigate This

This is exactly what we do for our clients. When Google changes the rules, we translate that into a practical game plan. Here’s our approach:

1. We Audit Your Current Situation

• Is your Google Business Profile fully optimized?
• Does your primary category match your main service?
• Are you getting the right kind of reviews?
• Do you have service pages for every major offering?

2. We Build Topic Authority

Instead of random blog posts, we create content clusters around your core services. For a law firm, that might be a pillar page on “Personal Injury Law in Florida” with supporting pages on car accidents, slip-and-falls, medical malpractice, and wrongful death—all internally linked and building your authority.

3. We Optimize For How People Actually Search

We write content that answers real questions in natural language:

• “How long does a personal injury case take in Florida?”
• “What do I do immediately after a car accident?”
• “Can I sue if I signed a waiver?”

This content serves both traditional Google searches and AI-powered assistants.

4. We Manage Your Reputation Proactively

Reviews aren’t a “set it and forget it” thing. We help clients systematically generate detailed, service-specific reviews and respond to every single one within 48 hours.

5. We Track What Matters

Not vanity metrics like “impressions.” We track phone calls, direction requests, form submissions—actual business results from local search.

What You Should Do This Week

Don’t let this overwhelm you. Start here:

Monday: Claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile. Fill every field. Upload 20-30 photos.

Tuesday: Ask your last 3 happy customers for detailed reviews. Send them a direct link and ask them to mention the specific service and location.

Wednesday: Audit your website. Do you have dedicated pages for each major service? If not, start creating them.

Thursday: Check your categories. Is your primary category the one that matches your main revenue source?

Friday: Respond to every review you haven’t responded to yet. Acknowledge the specifics they mentioned.

That’s a solid foundation. From there, you can build.

The Bottom Line

Google’s February 2026 update isn’t a one-time fix—it’s a shift in how search works. The businesses that win are the ones that demonstrate genuine expertise, get consistent positive engagement, and provide actual value to searchers.

You don’t need to be an SEO expert to make this work. You just need to be genuinely good at what you do, communicate it clearly online, and make it easy for people to find you.

That’s where we come in.

Ready to make local search work for you? Let’s talk. Book a free 30-minute consultation with Orange Rock Media, and we’ll show you exactly what’s holding you back and how to fix it.

Contact us at orangerockmedia.com or call us to get started.