UK regulators recently proposed a change that could affect how Google shows search results. They want Google to let website owners choose not to have their content used in AI-generated search summaries. This would still allow websites to keep their normal search visibility.
Today, Google’s AI search tools often pull content from websites and show short summaries at the top of search results. If a business does not want its content used this way, the only option is usually to block Google. When that happens, the website can disappear from search results. Regulators are now asking if this system is fair.
Even though this proposal is happening in the UK, it still matters to local service businesses in the United States. Many of these businesses rely on search traffic to get calls, emails, and new work.
What Is Changing in AI Search
The proposal would require Google to give website owners more control. These controls would allow businesses to stop their content from being used in AI summaries while still appearing in regular search results.
This shows a change in how AI search tools are being viewed. Regulators now see these tools as having a strong effect on where online traffic goes. They are no longer seen as simple or harmless features. Google has said it is looking at ways to give website owners more control over how AI search uses their content.
No changes have been announced in the U.S. yet. However, Google often rolls out search updates around the world. Because of this, similar changes could later affect search results in the United States.
Why This Matters to U.S. Local Service Businesses
Local service businesses depend on people clicking search results to learn what they do and decide whether to reach out. This is very important for project-based work. Customers often want to see examples, understand the process, and feel confident about who they are hiring. When AI summaries answer questions directly on the search page, that step can be skipped. Users may never visit the business’s website.
For businesses that rely on showing real work and clearly explaining services — from land surveyors and engineers to companies offering masonry services — losing that click can mean losing trust before a customer ever makes contact.
If opt-out controls become available, businesses could protect important service pages, local project examples, and case studies. This content would not be pulled into AI summaries that do not lead to visits or new leads. This matters most for services where proof of work, detail, and local trust affect decisions.
This also changes how success is measured. It may no longer be only about ranking high in search results. It may also depend on whether people can still reach a business’s website and see its work instead of stopping at an AI answer.
A Bigger Signal for the Future
This proposal points to a larger change in how search is developing. Governments are paying more attention to how AI affects search results, content ownership, and business visibility. There is growing concern that AI tools may take attention away from the businesses that create the content people depend on.
For local service businesses in Huntsville and across the U.S., this highlights a simple fact. The way people find and judge businesses online is changing. Online visibility for local businesses is no longer shaped only by basic SEO work. It is now affected by platform rules, AI search tools, and future regulations that influence what people see before clicking a website.