Absolutely. I've been watching this unfold with a few local clients and the shift is already starting to show - less direct interaction with the classic map pack means the standard GBP metrics are becoming incomplete pretty quickly.
Attribution is the real headache here. Someone might see the business listed, read a review snippet, compare summaries, and never click through in a way that GBP tracks. That old call/direction/click path? Not the primary funnel anymore.
For my local clients, I'm supplementing GBP data with a broader set. Here's what I'm tracking now:
📌 Branded search volume (essential)
📌 Call tracking by source where possible
📌 Form quality and conversion rates
📌 Review velocity and sentiment trends
📌 Whether AI Overview cites the business for high-priority queries
📌 Which competitors keep getting referenced in citations
The ranking signals might still feel local, but the reporting layer? It's going to get significantly messier before it settles down.
