Google Maps launched Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation on 12 March 2026, both powered by Gemini AI and will be coming to South Africa soon. The update transforms Maps from a keyword search tool into a conversational discovery platform, with implications for multi-location brands, informal settlements, and digital inclusion.
Imagine a customer asking Google Maps: “Where can I charge my phone without standing in a long coffee queue?” and your location appearing, or not appearing, in the AI-generated answer. That scenario is no longer hypothetical. As of 12 March 2026, it is live.
Google has just rolled out what it calls the biggest Maps update in over a decade, a dual release of Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation, both powered by its Gemini AI models. The update is live on mobile in the US and India, with desktop and broader markets following soon.
For multi-location brands, this changes how customers find you. Fundamentally.
“We’ve all been waiting to see how Google Maps would evolve in response to the rapid growth of AI search. This update shows that Google Maps will continue to play a critical role. The rich location data and customer sentiment inside Maps will continue to be one of the foundational data sources that AI systems reference when understanding the physical world and eventually how places appear in AI-powered discovery.”
– Ryan Haworth, CEO at Social Places | Linkedin
1. Ask Maps: Search Becomes a Conversation
Ask Maps replaces keyword-based searches with natural-language questions. Instead of typing “coffee shop near me,” a user can now ask: “Where’s a quiet cafe with Wi-Fi and short queues near the waterfront?”
Gemini responds with curated, conversational answers: a custom map, review highlights, directions, and actionable options like booking or saving the place. It draws on data from over 300 million listed places and contributions from more than 500 million community members.
The critical shift? Google is no longer just matching keywords. It’s interpreting intent and context. Your Google Business Profile data, customer reviews, and location attributes are the raw material the AI uses to decide whether your location shows up.
2. Immersive Navigation: A Visual Overhaul for Drivers
The second half of the update is Immersive Navigation, a fully redesigned 3D driving experience. Gemini analyses Street View and aerial imagery to render buildings, terrain, lane markings, and traffic signals in real time. Voice guidance now sounds more like a human passenger than a sat-nav: think “Go past this exit and take the next one” rather than “Take Exit 12.”
For brands, the relevance is indirect but real. The richer navigation experience increases how much time users spend inside Google Maps, making the app a one-stop discovery-and-travel platform rather than just a directions tool.
3. Reviews Are Now the AI’s Primary Fuel
This is the headline for anyone managing local presence. Google confirmed that Ask Maps pulls heavily from existing Google Business Profile information, community content, and most importantly, review content.
That means the quality, recency, and detail of your reviews directly influence whether Gemini recommends your location. A five-star rating with generic one-liners won’t carry the same weight as detailed, descriptive reviews that mention specific attributes like outdoor seating, fast service, or charging points.
As local SEO strategist Tim Kahlert noted in a widely shared breakdown of the update, encouraging customers to leave detailed, descriptive reviews and asking them to save your location are now high-impact actions for visibility.
“We’re already getting questions from clients about this. They want to know: are our locations going to show up when someone asks Maps a question instead of typing a keyword? The honest answer is, it depends on how rich your data is. That’s the conversation we’re having with every brand right now.”
– Ashleigh Wainstein, Head of Customer Success at Social Places
4. The Bigger Picture: AI Mapping, Informal Settlements, and Safety
While Ask Maps is a game-changer for established brands, its implications extend well beyond retail and hospitality. In South Africa and across the developing world, AI-powered mapping raises pressing questions about informal settlements, safety, and digital inclusion.
Millions of people live in areas that are poorly mapped or entirely absent from platforms like Google Maps. In South Africa alone, eThekwini municipality has over 580 informal settlements housing 314,000 households, roughly a quarter of the city’s population. Initiatives like PlanAct have used Google Plus Codes to get informal communities onto the map, helping residents access deliveries, emergency services, and economic opportunity. But when the AI layer is added on top of this data, new risks emerge.
If Gemini’s recommendations rely on review volume, business listings, and contributor data, communities with fewer digital footprints could become even less visible. Conversely, AI-driven navigation that routes users through unfamiliar areas without context about safety raises real concerns, particularly in regions where informal settlements and surrounding areas are perceived as unsafe. Research from the Gauteng City-Region Observatory shows a clear correlation between informal housing and residents’ heightened sense of insecurity.
For brands operating across diverse geographies, this is a reminder that location data quality isn’t just a marketing metric. It’s a responsibility. Accurate mapping, inclusive listing practices, and culturally aware AI recommendations matter more than ever.
“We work with brands across 71 countries. The reality in South Africa and other emerging markets is that a huge portion of potential customers live in areas that barely exist on digital maps. AI-powered discovery is going to widen that gap unless brands and platforms take inclusion seriously. At Social Places, we’ve always built our tech stack to handle that complexity, because a modular, unified platform is the only way to manage listings at that kind of scale.”
– Quinton McHaffie, Co-Founder at Social Places | Linkedin
5. What Multi-Location Brands Should Do Right Now
The brands that win in this new environment are the ones whose location data is complete, consistent, and rich enough for an AI model to draw on confidently. That means:
- Complete every GBP attribute: hours, services, accessibility, payment methods, and amenities. The more structured data Gemini has, the more confidently it can recommend you.
- Prioritise review quality over quantity: encourage customers to describe their experience in detail. Phrases that match real conversational queries will surface in AI-generated answers.
- Keep listing data fresh: stale hours, missing photos, or outdated menus will quietly push you out of recommendations.
- Monitor how your brand appears in AI answers: this is a new visibility layer that traditional rank tracking doesn’t cover.
- Think beyond flagship locations: if you operate in areas with less digital infrastructure, invest in getting those locations properly listed and reviewed. AI visibility gaps will compound quickly.
“I’ve seen first-hand what happens when brands neglect location data across their less prominent sites. The gap between your best-performing and worst-performing location online gets wider every year. Now with AI deciding who gets recommended, that gap is about to become a cliff.”
– Ryan Haworth, CEO at Social Places | Linkedin
How Social Places Helps You Stay Visible in an AI-Driven Maps World
When discovery shifts from keyword search to conversational AI, the brands that surface are the ones with clean, complete, and well-managed location data at scale. Social Places’ Listings product ensures every location’s data is accurate and enriched across platforms, while Reputation helps you generate, respond to, and analyse the review content that Gemini now treats as a primary signal. With over 23,000 locations managed across 71 countries, we understand that local context matters as much as global consistency.
