Google Search in 2026 looks very different from the ten blue links most business owners grew up with. People in Thane can now ask Google a long, detailed question in Marathi or Hindi, by typing or simply speaking, and get a single AI-written answer with a handful of businesses and websites linked inside it. Since late October, that answer can include ads too.
The good news: Google says there is no special trick to appearing in these AI answers. The businesses that show up are the ones with clear, accurate, helpful information online. This guide explains what changed this year and the practical steps we recommend to every Thane business owner.
What changed in Google Search this year
Here are the developments that matter most for local businesses in India, in the order they happened:
- AI Mode in Indian languages. AI Mode, Google's conversational search experience, became available in India in 2025. Hindi came first, and in October 2025 Google added Marathi along with Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
- Search by voice and camera. Search Live lets people talk to Google and point their phone camera at things while they ask questions. It launched in India in English and Hindi.
- Huge adoption. At Google I/O in May 2026, Google said AI Mode had passed a billion monthly users worldwide.
- Two core updates. Google released broad core updates in March 2026 and May 2026, each taking around two weeks to roll out. These reshuffle rankings across the web.
- A long spam update. The September 2026 spam update ran from 24 September to 8 October, much longer than usual, and applied to all languages and countries.
- Ads inside AI Mode. On 28 October 2026 Google expanded ads in AI Mode to India and nine other markets. They are labelled "Sponsored", and Google says ads do not influence the AI-written answers themselves.
The short version: more of your customers are asking Google full questions in their own language, and Google is answering with a summary that links to a few businesses. Your job is to be one of those few.
How AI Mode decides which businesses to show
When someone asks a detailed question, AI Mode breaks it into several related searches behind the scenes, which Google calls "query fan-out", and then writes one answer with supporting links. Google's own documentation for site owners makes three points worth knowing:
- There are no extra requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. A page only needs to be indexed and eligible to show a snippet in normal Search.
- The usual SEO fundamentals still apply: crawlable pages, good internal links, a decent page experience, important content in text, and structured data that matches what is visible on the page.
- Google specifically mentions keeping your Business Profile information up to date.
Google also says you do not need special AI files or new types of markup to be included. If someone is selling you an "AI optimisation file", ask them which Google document recommends it.
What this looks like for a Thane customer
Picture someone in Kasarvadavali looking for a physiotherapist. Five years ago they might have typed "physiotherapist Thane". Today they might ask, in Marathi, for a physiotherapist near Ghodbunder Road who treats sports injuries, is open on Sundays and accepts walk-ins.
That is a very specific question. Google can only recommend your clinic if the details it needs are written down somewhere it can read: your Google Business Profile, your website and your reviews. A beautiful website that never mentions your Sunday hours or the areas you serve gives Google nothing to work with.
7 things Thane businesses should do now
1. Make your Google Business Profile complete and accurate
Check your primary category, hours (including festival and holiday hours), services, phone number and photos. Answer the common questions customers ask, because Google now uses business answers and reviews to respond to questions on Maps. Our Local SEO team does this for clients every month.
2. Answer real customer questions on your website, in plain words
Write down the questions your staff hear every day: prices or price ranges, timings, parking, areas served, what to bring, how long it takes. Put the answers on your service pages and in an FAQ section. Clear answers are exactly what an AI summary needs.
3. Be specific about where you work
Mention the localities you actually serve, such as Thane West, Ghodbunder Road, Majiwada or Kalwa, naturally in your content. If you serve several areas, give each important area its own genuinely useful page rather than copying the same text with a different name.
4. Publish in Marathi or Hindi where your customers do
If many of your customers prefer Marathi or Hindi, consider adding pages or posts in those languages. Proper translations written for people, not machine-spun copies, help you appear for searches in those languages.
5. Keep important information in text, not just images
Menus, price lists and offers posted only as images or PDFs are harder for search systems to use. Put the key details in normal text on the page as well.
6. Earn more detailed reviews
Ask happy customers to mention what they came for and how it went. A review that says "fixed my knee pain after a cricket injury, open on Sunday" helps Google match you to future questions far better than "good service". Never offer discounts in exchange for reviews; it breaks Google's rules.
7. Measure what matters
Visits from AI Overviews and AI Mode are counted inside the normal Web results in Google Search Console, so keep watching that report. Google says clicks from pages with AI Overviews tend to be higher quality, so track enquiries, calls and WhatsApp messages in Google Analytics rather than judging success on raw traffic alone.
Should you run ads in AI Mode?
Now that ads can appear in AI Mode in India, businesses already running Google Ads may start to see their ads there. Google says people's questions in AI Mode are roughly three times longer than traditional searches, which can mean more specific, higher-intent customers. It is still early, so treat it as a test: watch the cost per lead closely and keep building your organic presence, which does not stop when your budget does. Our performance marketing team can set this up and track it properly.
What not to do
- Do not mass-produce AI articles just to rank. Google's spam policies target scaled, low-value content, and the September 2026 spam update ran far longer than recent ones.
- Do not stuff keywords into your business name on Google. It breaks Google's guidelines and can get your profile suspended.
- Do not panic over a single month of traffic. Core updates cause temporary swings. Look at three-month trends and, above all, at enquiries.
The bottom line
AI search rewards the same thing good marketing always has: being clear, accurate and genuinely helpful. The difference now is that Google can read your details in Marathi, Hindi and English, compare you with competitors in seconds, and recommend only a few names. Businesses in Thane that keep their profile, website and reviews in good shape will be the ones it recommends.
Not sure how your business looks to Google today? Book a free consultation and our team will review your Google Business Profile and website and show you the quickest wins.
Sources: Google Search Central, AI features and your website; TechCrunch, Search Live comes to India, AI Mode gets more languages; Google Search Status Dashboard and Search Central announcements for 2026 update dates.