Local SEO statistics for 2026: how customers find and choose local businesses
Local search is fast, mobile and still mostly Google, but AI assistants are now part of the journey. These are the figures worth knowing in 2026, each linked to the study it comes from. Most consumer surveys here are of US adults; we've said where.
Key findings
- Most local searches start on a phone: 73% of US consumers began their latest local search on mobile.
- People decide fast: 75% choose a business in under 30 minutes, and 72% look at three or fewer options.
- Google is still first, but not alone: 52% started on Google Search and 75% used more than one channel.
- Your primary Google category is rated the top map ranking factor by local search experts.
- AI assistants are now used for local recommendations by 45% of US consumers, up from 6% a year earlier.
How people search for local businesses
of US consumers searched online for a local business in the past three months.
started their most recent local search on a mobile phone; 19% used a computer and 8% a tablet.
started their most recent local search on Google Search, and 9% on Google Maps.
used more than one channel during their latest local search, such as Google, social media or review sites.
used Google Search at some point while looking for a local business.
started their latest local search somewhere other than Google.
Even among people over 60, a mobile phone was the most-used device (57%), so a site and Google profile that work well on a phone matter for every audience.
How quickly customers decide
decide which local business to use in under 30 minutes.
decide in under five minutes.
look at three or fewer businesses before deciding; only 1% look at more than ten.
of people ready to contact or visit a business went with the very first one they found.
What Google rewards
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that you can't pay to improve your local ranking. Experts surveyed for Whitespark's ranking factors study rank the individual factors like this:
| Rank | Map pack factor (Whitespark, published Nov 2025) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Primary Google Business Profile category |
| 2 | Distance from the searcher |
| 3 | Keywords in the business name (only if they're genuinely part of it) |
| 4 | Physical address in the city searched |
| 5 | Open at the time of the search |
| 6 | High Google star rating (4 to 5) |
| 8 | Additional Google categories |
| 9 | Number of Google reviews with text |
local organic factor in the same study: a dedicated page on your website for each service.
more likely: Google says customers are this much more likely to consider a business reputable if they find a complete Business Profile.
more likely to visit, and 50% more likely to consider purchasing, when a business has a complete Business Profile, according to Google.
Sterling Sky's 2025 analysis of 8,186 businesses ranking for “near me” searches in 200 US cities found that the number of reviews gained this month mattered more than the total, and reviews with text had a stronger effect than star-only ratings. One dental client that stopped getting reviews for 18 days saw its rankings fall sharply.
AI assistants and local search
of US consumers have used ChatGPT or other AI tools for local business recommendations, up from 6% in 2025.
used an AI tool during their most recent local search; 8% started there.
of people who started a local search on an AI tool then checked Google.
of AI users felt ready to contact a business recommended by AI without checking further.
of multi-location brand locations were recommended by ChatGPT, against 11% by Gemini and 7.4% by Perplexity. The same brands appeared in Google's local 3-pack 35.9% of the time.
of business details shown by ChatGPT and Perplexity matched the businesses' profiles, compared with 100% on Gemini, which draws on Google Maps.
was the average rating of locations ChatGPT recommended (Perplexity 4.1, Gemini 3.9).
The pattern is clear: AI tools are joining the search, not replacing Google. Most people who start with AI still check Google, and AI tools favour well-reviewed businesses with consistent details across the web.
What to do with these numbers
- Make sure your Google profile is complete and your primary category is the most specific one that's true.
- Keep your opening hours accurate, including holidays: being open at the time of search is a top-five factor.
- Ask every customer for a review with text, steadily, so your recent reviews never dry up.
- Give every core service its own page on your website, and make calling one tap on mobile.
- Keep your name, address and phone the same on Google, Bing, Apple Maps and directories, so AI tools get your details right.
Sources
- BrightLocal Consumer Search Behavior 2026, part 1 (1,227 US consumers)
- BrightLocal Consumer Search Behavior 2026, part 2 (1,227 US consumers)
- BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (1,002 US consumers)
- Whitespark Local Search Ranking Factors (47 experts, 187 factors)
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking
- Google Business Profile Help: Complete your Business Profile
- SOCi 2026 Local Visibility Index (about 350,000 locations), via Search Engine Land
- Sterling Sky: We analyzed 8,186 businesses in 200 cities (2025)
Citing these figures? Please link to this page. If you spot a figure that's out of date, email hello@flexilocal.com.
