Editor's note
Today's items share a common thread: AI and search are moving deeper into the point where customers reach a business. Google now states that Business Profile posts with unverifiable contact details may be removed, and Search Console has started separating traffic from image-based searches such as Google Lens. Meanwhile, Gemini has begun testing phone calls to businesses on a user's behalf, and talking-avatar voice agents are now generally available for enterprises. From being found in search to answering enquiries and bookings, small businesses increasingly need information that machines can read accurately.
WebGoogle Business Profile Help
Google Business Profile posts with unverified contact details may be removed
Google updated its Business Profile help page on posts to state that, to prevent fraud and abuse, it may remove posts containing unverified contact information. This covers phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles. Posts with phone numbers may also be rejected if the number cannot be verified as connected to the business.
Context
Posts let businesses publish offers and updates directly in Maps and Search, and they have become a routine part of local SEO. They have also been abused, with post text used to push unrelated phone numbers or social accounts for impersonation or redirection. Making the rule explicit means contact details inside a post are now expected to match information already verified on the profile.
HaLVision's take
We would stop putting phone numbers or social handles into the body of posts. Let the profile's own phone and website fields, plus the post's call-to-action button, carry contact information instead. Businesses using a separate campaign phone number should check that it matches what is registered on the profile before relying on it in posts.
WebGoogle Search Central Blog
Search Console now reports image-based ‘multimodal’ search traffic separately
On September 24 Google split the Web search type in the Search Console performance report into text-based and multimodal. Multimodal covers Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Search and Chrome's search-this-image feature. Because these searches start from an image, the query dimension is not available for this segment.
Context
Searching with a phone camera or an on-screen image has grown steadily, but site owners have had little visibility into that traffic. Google says this is newly added data rather than a breakdown of existing web numbers. Businesses whose products are found by how they look, such as food, retail or venues, are the most likely to see it.
HaLVision's take
Restaurants, shops and attractions should check which pages show multimodal impressions and clicks. With no queries to read, the landing pages are the main clue; improving photo quality, alt text and product structured data on those pages is the practical next step.
AITechCrunch
Google tests ‘Call for Me’, letting Gemini phone businesses on your behalf
On September 24 Google began testing Call for Me, which lets Gemini call businesses for a user. It is aimed at routine calls such as rescheduling appointments, checking stock or reserving a table. For now it is limited to Pixel 11 owners in the US with a paid Gemini subscription who are in the Phone by Google beta.
Context
Google has gradually shipped features that cut phone friction, from Duplex to Hold for Me. Here Gemini also navigates phone menus and waits on hold, while the user watches a live transcript and can take over at any time. For businesses on the receiving end, handling enquiries from an AI caller is becoming a practical reality.
HaLVision's take
It is US-only for now, but restaurants, salons and shops can prepare by publishing accurate hours, availability and stock information on their site and Business Profile — the same things an AI caller would ask about. It is also worth agreeing internally on how staff should respond when an AI is on the line.
AIGoogle Cloud Blog
Google makes Gemini 3.8 Live with talking avatars generally available for enterprises
On September 24 Google Cloud made Gemini 3.8 Live, its real-time voice model, generally available in Gemini Enterprise along with Live Avatar, which adds a talking video persona. It syncs lip movement and expressions to speech across 97 languages and can call tools in the background while the conversation continues. All generated audio and video carry SynthID watermarks.
Context
Voice agents are spreading into call centres, reception desks and kiosks. This release adds a video persona that can be deployed on web, mobile and in-store screens. To limit impersonation, customers mainly choose from curated pre-built avatars, and custom avatar creation requires enterprise allowlisting and verification.
HaLVision's take
Tourist sites or public service counters that need multilingual guidance may find this worth evaluating, but for most small businesses it is a watch-and-learn moment. What decides success is not the avatar but the accuracy of what it says — FAQs, stock and booking data — so getting that information in order comes first.
WebSearch Engine Roundtable
Bing tests renaming its Copilot search tab to ‘AI Mode’
Microsoft was reported on September 25 to be testing a change in Bing that renames the Copilot Search tab to AI Mode. AI Mode is the same name Google uses for its AI search feature. Bing previously adopted Google's AI Overviews label for its AI-generated summaries as well.
Context
Microsoft has long promoted its search AI features under its own Copilot brand. Aligning the name with Google's suggests a preference for terminology users already recognise. It also shows that an AI-answer mode is becoming a shared concept across search engines.
HaLVision's take
Bing's share is modest in Japan, but its index has also fed search in other AI services, so it should not be ignored. If Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow are not yet set up, now is a good time to do it, covering AI search on both Google and Bing.