GBP Q&A: Using Questions and Answers Strategically

Why GBP Q&A today requires a different strategy

Anyone searching for "Google Business Profile questions" is looking for a feature that no longer exists in its familiar form. The question-and-answer section (Q&A) in the Google Business Profile was a standard element of local search for years: any user could publicly ask a question on the profile, and anyone could answer it. For SMEs in the DACH region, this was both an opportunity and a risk, because competitors and Local Guides could also post false answers.

The strategic relevance is high because local search in Austria runs almost entirely through Google. According to StatCounter, Google's search engine market share in Austria in May 2026 was 81.87 percent across all devices. Statista puts the figure for the full year 2024 at around 89.6 percent, while Bing only reached about six percent. Anyone who wants to be found locally in Austria cannot avoid the Google Business Profile. That's precisely why it's worth adapting the question-answer strategy to the new reality, rather than mourning a discontinued feature.

Status 2025/2026: What has become of the Q&A feature

Google has gradually scaled back the classic Q&A function. The public question-and-answer module, as users knew it from Maps and Google Search, is losing visibility, and the associated programming interface for machine reading and maintenance of questions was discontinued in early November 2025. This eliminates the ability for businesses and agencies to monitor Q&A content automatically or manage it via third-party systems.

AI-supported answers are replacing the manual question-and-answer list. Google increasingly answers user questions directly from existing profile data, from reviews and from the linked website, supplemented by AI functions such as "Ask Maps" and Gemini-based answers in search. Instead of a publicly visible Q&A box, the system generates an answer from multiple sources. In practice, this means a clear shift: you no longer fill a single field, but you manage the data sources from which Google draws the answers.

From Q&A to AI answers: The new control levers

The central question is no longer "How do I answer the Q&A box?", but "Which sources does Google use, and how do I fill them correctly?". Three sources are crucial.

• The profile itself: Opening hours, categories, attributes, service descriptions and the business description. These fields are the structured fact base from which AI answers first draw.
• Reviews: Reviews and their content provide context on services, atmosphere and typical concerns. What customers mention repeatedly shapes the AI image of the business.
• The linked website: Structured, clearly formulated content on your own site is an authoritative first-party source. You control this source completely, unlike reviews.

The logic of question-answer optimization therefore remains valid, only the location shifts. Instead of centralizing answers in a single box, you distribute the same information across multiple sources read by Google.

Building FAQ content strategically: Which questions go where

Which questions are even worth answering? An industry analysis from the USA provides reliable guidance, even though the data is not Austria-specific. According to GatherUp, which examined more than 1,700 locations, 25 percent of locations had received at least one question, with large industry differences from around one percent for trade services to over 35 percent for car dealers and about 90 percent for large chain brands. The questions were predominantly serious: in an in-depth analysis, 77 percent of questions were legitimate and revolved around products, services, prices and basic facts. In the examined dentist segment, 38 percent concerned accepted insurance and 32 percent the question of whether a specific treatment is offered and what it costs.

The lesson for the DACH region: customers ask about concrete things. Cover the 10 to 15 most frequent concerns systematically.

• Opening hours and accessibility: Regular hours, holiday regulations and special opening hours belong in the profile field, not just in body text.
• Prices and services: Price ranges, packages and the exact service spectrum belong in profile services, in Google Posts and in a website FAQ.
• Payment: Accepted payment methods can be clearly stored via profile attributes.
• Parking and directions: Parking options via attributes, exact directions via website and profile description.
• Specific services: Does the business offer a specific treatment, brand or specialization? This information belongs explicitly on the website and in the service list.

Distributing answers instead of centralizing: The new Q&A channels

After the removal of the Q&A field, several channels take over its function. A good strategy uses them in parallel and consistently.

• FAQ schema (FAQPage): Structured data markup according to Schema.org on the website makes question-answer pairs machine-readable. This way Google recognizes the content as direct answers and can use them for AI outputs.
• Website FAQ: A visible FAQ page with clearly formulated questions and short, precise answers serves people and AI systems alike.
• Google Posts: Posts in the profile are suitable for current or seasonal questions, such as changed opening hours or new services.
• Attributes: Structured profile attributes for accessibility, payment, parking or offers answer many questions without a user ever having to ask them.

The common denominator of all channels is consistency. If profile, website and posts contradict each other, exactly the room for interpretation is created that AI systems fill with false assumptions.

Reputation protection: From Q&A abuse to data consistency

The old Q&A feature had a known vulnerability: anyone could post questions and answers, including competitors or Local Guides. False or misleading answers could only be contained through active monitoring and reporting. The proven protection consisted of asking the most important questions yourself and answering them correctly immediately, so that your own answer appeared as the top and most frequently confirmed.

In the AI era, the risk shifts. No longer is a single false answer in a public box the problem, but an inconsistent or incomplete data situation across all sources. If the company name, address or phone number (NAP data) differ depending on the platform, the AI cannot clearly identify the business and in doubt combines false fragments. The most effective reputation protection today therefore means: complete, consistent profile data across all channels. Where the same facts are everywhere, there is nothing to falsify.

Best practices for FAQ and AI answer optimization

The following measures have proven themselves in practice and can be implemented directly.

• Fill profile completely: Completeness pays off measurably. According to a Google statement cited by BrightLocal, customers consider a business with a complete profile 2.7 times more likely to be reputable and are 70 percent more likely to visit it.
• Derive FAQ from real customer questions: Collect real inquiries from emails, phone and sales. These questions hit search intent more accurately than invented ones.
• Integrate keywords naturally: Formulate questions as customers ask them, and integrate relevant terms without keyword stuffing.
• Keep answers short and factual: Direct, unambiguous answers are easier for AI systems to cite than long marketing texts.
• Implement FAQPage schema: Machine-readable question-answer pairs increase the chance of being correctly cited in AI answers and AI Overviews.
• Actively manage reviews: Ask satisfied customers for reviews and respond to them. This is relevant because according to BrightLocal, 97 percent of consumers read reviews of local businesses and 71 percent use Google for this.

Optimization for AI Overviews and Answer Engines

For Gemini and other answer systems to make correct statements about your business, you must structure the content so that it is clearly interpretable. The principle is the same as with classic SEO, only more consistently focused on factual clarity.

• One question, one clear answer: Structure content as a direct answer to a concrete question. Headings as questions, the first sentence as core answer.
• Increase fact density: Concrete, verifiable information on location, services, price range and specialization anchors the entity clearly.
• Consistency across all sources: Website, profile, posts and directories must tell the same story so that the AI recognizes a clear entity.
• Strengthen local signals: Explicitly name local reference and catchment area, especially for Austrian businesses with local focus.

Common mistakes

• Mourning the old Q&A field: Anyone who continues to look only at the public Q&A box misses the actual control levers: profile, website and reviews.
• Inconsistent NAP data: Differing spellings of name, address or phone number across platforms are one of the most common causes of false AI answers.
• FAQ only on the website, not in the profile: Anyone who stores answers exclusively centrally ignores that Google draws from multiple sources.
• No FAQPage schema: Without structured data, much remains difficult to interpret for AI systems.
• Treating profile as a one-time task: Opening hours, services and prices become outdated. Without regular maintenance, misinformation returns.
• Ignoring reviews: Reviews are a central AI source. Anyone who doesn't maintain them leaves the image to chance.

Response time, monitoring and measurement

Even without a public Q&A box, a fixed maintenance and control process is needed. Activate notifications in the profile, check it at a fixed rhythm and respond promptly to new reviews and to changes in profile information by Google or third parties.

Profile insights make success measurable. Observe the following metrics over time:

• Profile views and search queries: Show visibility and with which terms the profile is found.
• Clicks, calls and direction requests: Direct conversion signals. If they increase after better FAQ and profile content, the measures are working.
• Review volume and recency: Indicator of trust and the quality of the AI source base.
• AI accuracy in spot checks: Query Google AI Overviews and Gemini regularly about your business and check whether the answers are correct.

Complete, consistent content pays directly into conversion: according to the Google statement cited by BrightLocal, customers with a complete profile are 50 percent more likely to consider a purchase.

Practical migration checklist

After the old Q&A section was removed, businesses should work through the following steps.

• Profile audit: Check opening hours, address, phone, categories, attributes and description for completeness and currency.
• NAP comparison: Check name, address and phone across website, Google, Bing and Austrian directories for identical spelling.
• Collect top questions: Compile the 10 to 15 most frequent real customer questions from sales.
• Distribute FAQ: Transfer answers into profile attributes, profile services, Google Posts and a website FAQ.
• Install FAQPage schema: Mark up question-answer pairs in machine-readable format.
• Set up monitoring: Activate notifications and establish a fixed review rhythm.
• Establish AI check: Regularly test what Google AI Overviews and Gemini say about the business, and correct sources in case of errors.

Further reading

The GBP Q&A feature in its original form is history, the task behind it remains: to answer typical customer questions proactively, correctly and consistently. Anyone who distributes the answers away from the old Q&A box to profile, reviews, website FAQ and FAQPage schema controls exactly the sources from which Google and Gemini generate their answers. Sensible next steps are a complete local SEO setup, the implementation of structured data on the website and building a fixed monitoring routine so that AI systems prefer your own facts instead of inventing them.