Steady Demand Google Business Profile and Local Services Ads management and Local SEO agency.

Google Business Profile and Local Services Ads management and Local SEO agency.

Local Search & AI Industry Research Index — Third-Party Studies

· ·

What the rest of the industry has measured about local search and AI. This is a curated index of 190 findings from 34 published studies by BrightLocal, Semrush, Ahrefs, SparkToro, Sterling Sky and others. Every figure links to the study that produced it.

We apply one rule to everything here: every figure must be traceable to the primary source that published it, and we state what that source disclosed. Sample sizes and date ranges appear on the cards. Where a publisher does not disclose its methodology, the card says so plainly. Findings that cannot be traced to a primary source are excluded, however widely they are repeated.

Where a finding touches something we have measured ourselves, the card links to our own study. For the research we ran directly, see the Steady Demand Research Index.

AI Search Research

What AI Actually Cites

Published Jun 12, 2026

Which sources answer engines draw on, how often they cite at all, and what predicts being included.

What AI cites

Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured48.6%of AI citations point to Google's own listings10,000 restaurants10,000 US restaurants.↳ We classified 24,701 citations across Gemini and ChatGPT, in two waves
Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured14.1%of citations go to Yelp – more than TripAdvisor, Facebook, Reddit and Instagram combined10,000 restaurants10,000 US restaurants.↳ Our citation ledger ranked the sources AI actually uses for local
Profound · Jan 8, 2026measured27 millioncitations analysed across ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews27M citationsProfound citation category study.↳ Our own ledger classified 24,701 citations for local-service queries
Profound · Jan 8, 2026measured54% vs 73%brand-owned share of citations on ChatGPT vs Google Gemini27M citations27 million citations. AI Overviews 69%, Claude 66%, Copilot 59%, Perplexity 57%.↳ We found Gemini and ChatGPT cite almost different internets for local
Profound · Jan 8, 2026measured4.3%of citations on open category prompts come from owned content27M citations27 million citations.Profound · Jan 8, 2026measured33%media share of Microsoft Copilot citations – the highest of any platform27M citations27 million citations.Profound · Jan 8, 2026measured19.4%social share of Perplexity citations – the highest of any platform27M citations27 million citations. Reddit is 8% of ChatGPT citations on brand prompts.Profound · Jan 8, 2026measured3xincrease in social citations when a user names a brand27M citations27 million citations.
Yext · 2025-09-01measured86%of AI citations come from sources brands already control6.8M citationsYext citation study, Jul-Aug 2025, with iPullRank.↳ Our own ledger classified citations by source type for local-service queries
Yext · 2025-09-01measured2%of citations went to Reddit-style platforms once location and query intent were applied6.8M citationsYext citation study. Disagreed sharply with our July baseline; the gap closed by September.↳ Our July figure was 13.7%. After both engines dropped Reddit it is 1.7% – the two studies now agree
Yext · 2025-09-01measured52.2% vs 48.7%Gemini citations from brand-owned websites vs ChatGPT citations from third-party listings6.8M citationsYext citation study.↳ We found the same split direction on local queries, at different magnitudes

How often AI cites

Similarweb · Jul 29, 2026measured1.6% → 6.8%share of US ChatGPT responses containing a citation, Jun 2025 to May 2026Similarweb traffic panelSimilarweb traffic panel.↳ We classified 24,701 citations to see which sources AI actually uses
Similarweb · Jul 29, 2026measured23%citation rate for travel and hospitality prompts – the highest categorySimilarweb traffic panelAutomotive roughly 20%. Professional services under 4%.↳ Local service categories behave differently again – we measured which

How AI answers behave

Profound · Jun 25, 2026measured47%of AI response content is unsolicited editorial the user never asked for50,000 prompts50,000 prompts across 7 industries and 5 prompt types.↳ We measured how much those answers change between identical queries
Profound · Jun 25, 2026measuredless than 13 weeks oldthe top 50% of content cited by answer engines50,000 prompts50,000 prompts across 7 industries.↳ Freshness matters – we measured which of our own pages got cited
Profound · Jun 25, 2026measured3,043 vs 1,590average characters per response, ChatGPT vs Claude50,000 promptsGemini 2,921. 50,000 prompts.Profound · Jun 25, 2026measured11%of claims made about one wearable manufacturer were false or inaccurate50,000 promptsSingle-brand case study within the 50,000-prompt analysis.
SISTRIX · 2026-05-01measured82,619prompts tracked weekly for 17 weeks across six countries and three AI platforms82,619 prompts / 1,548,213 snapshotsSISTRIX AI Citation Drift study, Dec 2025-Apr 2026.↳ Independent confirmation of the instability we measured on local queries
SISTRIX · 2026-05-01measured56% / 74%of cited sources replaced every week – Google AI Mode vs ChatGPT Search82,619 prompts / 1,548,213 snapshotsWeekly domain churn. At URL level ChatGPT reaches 85%.↳ We found the same instability asking one engine the identical question twice
SISTRIX · 2026-05-01measured54-59%drift rate across all six countries, with no sign of levelling off over 17 weeks82,619 prompts across 6 countriesSISTRIX concludes drift is structural, not an introductory effect.↳ Our Sept 2026 re-test found the same: no decay over time, just constant instability

What gets cited

Evertune · Aug 2026measured50%of ChatGPT citations are listicles – 58% of those are ranked lists40,000+ cited URLs40,000+ heavily cited URLs across nearly 50 product categories, Apr 2026.↳ We measured which page types AI cites for local service queries
Evertune · Aug 2026measured941 wordstypical length of a ChatGPT-cited pagethousands of cited pagesAlso 4 H2s, 2 H3s, 15 external links and 10 images. Thousands of cited pages, Apr 2026.Evertune · Aug 2026measured32%of all AI-cited domains are earned mediaEvertune AI Marketing PlatformRanges from 7% to 87% depending on topic.
Evertune · Aug 2026measured62% vs 54%how often ChatGPT vs Gemini answer from training data rather than live searchlive search trackingLive search tracking, Sep 2025.↳ We tested what ChatGPT falls back on when it does not search
Evertune · Aug 2026measured838 vs 6,687unique URLs surfaced for the same questions, Perplexity vs Google AI ModeEvertune AI Marketing PlatformEvertune AI Marketing Platform.Evertune · Aug 2026measured1 in 5Perplexity citations that go to RedditEvertune AI Marketing PlatformEvertune AI Marketing Platform.

What predicts AI visibility

Ahrefs · Dec 12, 2025measured0.737correlation between YouTube mentions and AI visibility – the strongest single factor75,000 brands75,000 brands. Spearman correlation across ChatGPT, AI Mode and AI Overviews.
Ahrefs · Dec 12, 2025measured0.664correlation between branded web mentions and ChatGPT visibility75,000 brands75,000 brands. AI Mode 0.709, AI Overviews 0.656.↳ Mentions matter more than links – our ledger shows which sources carry them
Ahrefs · Dec 12, 2025measured0.266correlation between Domain Rating and ChatGPT visibility – far weaker than mentions75,000 brands75,000 brands.Ahrefs · Dec 12, 2025measured0.235correlation between branded organic traffic and ChatGPT visibility75,000 brands75,000 brands. Behavioural signals trail text signals throughout.
Ahrefs · Dec 12, 2025measured0.821 vs 0.749output overlap: AI Overviews and AI Mode vs AI Overviews and ChatGPT75,000 brands75,000 brands.↳ We compared Gemini and ChatGPT citations directly for local queries

Cited but not named

Semrush · Jun 9, 2026measured62%of AI citations are ghost citations – the source is cited but the brand is never named3,981 appearances, 115 prompts3,981 domain appearances, 115 prompts, 14 countries, four AI engines.↳ Our ledger separated citation from mention for local queries too
Semrush · Jun 9, 2026measured74.9% vs 38.3%citation rate vs mention rate across all appearances3,981 appearances, 115 prompts3,981 domain appearances across four AI engines.
Semrush · Jun 9, 2026measured83.7% vs 20.7%brand mention rate, Gemini vs ChatGPT3,981 appearances, 115 promptsGemini cites at 21.4%, ChatGPT at 87%. The two behave in opposite ways.↳ We found the same split for local businesses – two different internets
Semrush · Jun 9, 2026measured30x-50xmore brand mentions from short queries than from long structured prompts3,981 appearances, 115 promptsLong prompts 2-3% mention rate. Short queries near 100%.↳ Phrasing changes the answer – we measured how much across repeat queries
Semrush · Jun 9, 2026measured43.3%brand mention rate on comparative queries – 2.4x higher than informational3,981 appearances, 115 promptsInformational 18%. How-to 42.8%. Commercial 35.6%.
Semrush · Jun 9, 2026measured22%of prompt-domain combinations showed the engines disagreeing on brand naming3,981 appearances, 115 prompts454 prompt-domain combinations.↳ Disagreement between engines, and between runs – we measured both

AI Mode volatility

SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured9.20%of URLs matched when the same queries were run three times10,000 keywords10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025. Jaccard coefficient.↳ We measured the same instability on local queries: 41.7% to 0.0% across repeat runs
SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured21.20%of keywords returned no overlapping URL at all across three runs10,000 keywords10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.↳ Our grounding drift study measured how far local citations move between runs
SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured0.10%of keywords returned exactly the same URLs on all three runs10,000 keywords6 of 9,451 keywords. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured14.70%domain-level overlap across three runs of the same queries10,000 keywords10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.

AI Mode vs organic

SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured14%URL overlap between AI Mode citations and the organic top 1010,000 keywords2.5 URLs per query. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.↳ We found AI Overviews and AI Mode cite local businesses in almost opposite ways
SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured21.90%domain overlap between AI Mode citations and the organic top 1010,000 keywords10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured17.90%of keywords had no overlap at all with the organic top 1010,000 keywords1,739 of 9,734 keywords. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.

AI Mode vs AI Overviews

SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured10.70%URL overlap between AI Mode and AI Overviews on the same keywords10,000 keywordsDomain-level 16%. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.↳ Two surfaces, two behaviours – we measured the split for local businesses

What AI Mode cites

SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured12.6average number of sources cited per AI Mode answer10,000 keywordsMaximum observed 58. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.↳ We classified 14,472 citations to see which sources carry local answers
SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured5.70%of all AI Mode citations point to Google itself10,000 keywords97.9% of those are Google Maps links. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.↳ Google citing Google is the pattern our ledger found for local queries too
SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured9.20%of AI Mode responses contained a Google Maps link10,000 keywords902 of 9,734 responses. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured11.90%of all citations went to just the top 10 domains10,000 keywordsIndeed 1.8%, Wikipedia 1.6%, Reddit 1.5%, YouTube 1.4%. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.SE Ranking · Aug 29, 2025measured90.80%of AI Mode citations appear in a separate block, not inline10,000 keywords8.9% are in-text. 10,000 keywords, 122,617 links across 9,734 responses, US, Jun 2025.

Community vs brand sources

Otterly · Feb 1, 2026measured52.5% vs 47.5%citations going to community platforms vs brand domains1M+ citations1M+ citations, Jan-Feb 2026. Otterly does not disclose its sampling methodology.↳ For local queries we measured a different split – here is the ledger
Otterly · Feb 1, 2026measured59.8% vs 44.7%brand-citation share, Google AI Overviews vs ChatGPT1M+ citationsPerplexity lowest at 28.9%. 1M+ citations, Jan-Feb 2026. Otterly does not disclose its sampling methodology.↳ We compared Gemini and ChatGPT citations directly on local queries
Otterly · Feb 1, 2026measured16.90%of Perplexity citations go to Reddit and forums1M+ citations1M+ citations, Jan-Feb 2026. Otterly does not disclose its sampling methodology.Otterly · Feb 1, 2026measured20.30%of citations go to news and media sites1M+ citations1M+ citations, Jan-Feb 2026. Otterly does not disclose its sampling methodology.

Blocking the crawlers

Otterly · Feb 1, 2026measured73%of sites have technical barriers blocking AI crawler access1M+ citations1M+ citations, Jan-Feb 2026. Otterly does not disclose its sampling methodology.
AI Search Research

Who AI Surfaces, and Who It Skips

Published Jun 12, 2026

How many businesses appear in AI recommendations at all, and where AI Overviews turn up.

AI visibility gap

Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured74.9%of restaurants never appear in Google's AI recommendations10,000 restaurants10,000 US restaurants, nine grid points each, May 2026.↳ Our ledger measured which businesses AI does surface, and from which sources
Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured74.9% vs 19.6%invisible in AI recommendations vs invisible on Google Maps10,000 restaurantsSame 10,000 restaurants. Nearly four times more likely.Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured70.9%of the time a restaurant with 1,000+ reviews was still left out of AI recommendations10,000 restaurants10,000 US restaurants.Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured74.5%of all AI visibility captured by the top 10% of restaurants10,000 restaurantsCompared with 54% on Google Maps.
Local Falcon · Mar 3, 2026measured83%of restaurants are completely invisible on ChatGPT189,905 ChatGPT results189,905 ChatGPT results analysed, Feb 2026. 14% invisible on Google.↳ We tested where ChatGPT's local results actually come from
SOCi · 2026-01-01measured1.20%of local business locations are recommended by ChatGPT outright~350,000 locations / 2,751 brandsSOCi 2026 Local Visibility Index. Perplexity 7.4%; Google local 3-pack 35.9%.↳ Our ledger measured which businesses do get surfaced, and from which sources
SOCi · 2026-01-01measured30xmore selective than traditional Google search, in AI-driven local discovery~350,000 locations / 2,751 brandsSOCi 2026 Local Visibility Index.↳ Ranking well on Google no longer means being named by an AI assistant
SOCi · 2026-01-01measured45%overlap between the most visible brands in local search and those AI recommends~350,000 locations / 2,751 brandsSOCi 2026 Local Visibility Index, retail vertical.↳ Two different internets – we found the same for Gemini vs ChatGPT

Web presence and AI

Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured16.7% → 26.2%AI visibility for restaurants with no website vs with a website10,000 restaurantsFacebook or Instagram only reached 39.4%.

AI answer quality

Local Falcon · Jun 12, 2026measured5.4%of restaurants ChatGPT recommended are rated below 3.5 stars10,000 restaurantsDespite the prompt asking for highly-rated places.

Where AI Overviews appear

Ahrefs · May 19, 2025measured6.85%of AI Overviews appear on local queries55.8M AI Overviews55.8M AI Overviews across 590M keywords.↳ We measured how AI Overviews and AI Mode treat local businesses
Ahrefs · May 19, 2025measured9.46%of all desktop keywords return an AI Overview – 16% in the US55.8M AI Overviews55.8M AI Overviews across 590M keywords.Ahrefs · May 19, 2025measured97.70%of AI Overview queries are informational – only 2.85% transactional55.8M AI Overviews55.8M AI Overviews across 590M keywords.
Ahrefs · May 19, 2025measured28.90%of all AI Overview mentions go to the top 50 domains55.8M AI Overviews55.8M AI Overviews across 590M keywords.↳ For local queries we found a different concentration – here is the ledger
Ahrefs · May 19, 2025measured80.03%of AI Overview queries are non-branded55.8M AI Overviews55.8M AI Overviews across 590M keywords.

AI Overviews in local search

Whitespark · May 12, 2025measured68%of local business queries returned an AI Overview540 manual queriesRange 57% to 80% by vertical. 540 manual queries across 6 verticals in Houston, Phoenix and Denver.↳ We measured what those AI Overviews actually cite for local businesses
Whitespark · May 12, 2025measured39%of the same searches returned a local pack540 manual queries540 manual queries across 6 verticals in Houston, Phoenix and Denver.Whitespark · May 12, 2025measured15% vs 93%AI Overview rate vs local pack rate on local-intent queries540 manual queries540 manual queries across 6 verticals in Houston, Phoenix and Denver.Whitespark · May 12, 2025measured92% vs 6%AI Overview rate vs local pack rate on informational queries540 manual queries540 manual queries across 6 verticals in Houston, Phoenix and Denver.
Whitespark · May 12, 2025measured97% vs 17%AI Overview rate vs local pack rate on hybrid-intent queries540 manual queriesThe highest AI Overview rate of any intent type. 540 manual queries across 6 verticals in Houston, Phoenix and Denver.↳ Hybrid intent is where the two surfaces diverge most – we measured how

Who gets cited locally

Whitespark · May 12, 2025measured60% vs 40%AI citations going to third-party publishers vs individual local businesses540 manual queriesHouston plumbers subset. 540 manual queries across 6 verticals in Houston, Phoenix and Denver.↳ Our ledger ranked exactly which third parties take those citations
AI Search Research

AI Referrals and the Cost to Clicks

Published Apr 7, 2026

Which engines send traffic, how that share is shifting, and what an AI Overview does to click-through.

ChatGPT referral traffic

Semrush · Apr 7, 2026measured206%growth in outbound referral traffic from ChatGPT during 20251B+ clickstream linesOver 1 billion lines of US clickstream data, Oct 2024 – Feb 2026.↳ We measured where those citations actually point for local queries
Semrush · Apr 7, 2026measured21.6%of all ChatGPT referral traffic goes to Google1B+ clickstream linesOver 1 billion lines of US clickstream data.↳ We compared Gemini and ChatGPT citations directly – two different internets
Semrush · Apr 7, 2026measured30%of all ChatGPT referral traffic goes to just 10 domains1B+ clickstream linesOver 1 billion lines of US clickstream data.Semrush · Apr 7, 2026measured71,000 → 170,000unique domains receiving ChatGPT referrals per month1B+ clickstream linesOct 2024 to Feb 2026. Peaked near 260,000 in Oct 2025.

ChatGPT behaviour

Semrush · Apr 7, 2026measured34.5%of ChatGPT queries triggered its search feature in Feb 20261B+ clickstream linesDown from 46% in late 2024.↳ We tested what ChatGPT uses when it does not search
Semrush · Apr 7, 2026measured1.75average queries per ChatGPT session by Feb 20261B+ clickstream linesRose 50% over the final four months of the study.

AI Overviews and clicks

Ahrefs · Feb 4, 2026measured-58.0%clickthrough rate for position one when an AI Overview is present300,000 keywords300,000 keywords. Dec 2023 vs Dec 2025.↳ We measured how AI Overviews and AI Mode differ for local businesses
Ahrefs · Feb 4, 2026measured-50.8%clickthrough rate for position two with an AI Overview present300,000 keywords300,000 keywords. Dec 2023 vs Dec 2025.Ahrefs · Feb 4, 2026measured-46.4%clickthrough rate for position three with an AI Overview present300,000 keywords300,000 keywords. Dec 2023 vs Dec 2025.Ahrefs · Feb 4, 2026measured0.073 → 0.016position-one CTR for AI Overview keywords, Dec 2023 to Dec 2025300,000 keywords150,000 keywords with an AI Overview present.
Seer Interactive · Apr 2026measured1.3% → 2.4%organic CTR on AI Overview queries, Dec 2025 to Feb 20265.47M queries, 53 brands5.47M queries, 53 brands, 2.43B organic impressions.↳ We measured how AI Overviews and AI Mode differ for local businesses
Seer Interactive · Apr 2026measured+120%more organic clicks per impression when cited in the AI Overview5.47M queries, 53 brands5.47M queries across 53 brands.↳ Being cited is the whole game – we measured who gets cited
Seer Interactive · Apr 2026measured-38%citation still underperforms a query with no AI Overview5.47M queries, 53 brands5.47M queries across 53 brands.Seer Interactive · Apr 2026measured95.4%of comparison queries return an AI Overview5.47M queries, 53 brandsQuestion-format 85.9%. Informational 36%. Transactional 5%.Seer Interactive · Apr 2026measured2.07% vs 0.94%organic CTR when cited in the AI Overview vs not cited5.47M queries, 53 brands2025 average across 53 brands.

AI referral share

BrightEdge · May 20, 2026measured89.2% → 81.4%ChatGPT's share of AI referral traffic, Q4 2025 to Q1 2026not disclosedBrightEdge does not disclose the sample size or methodology behind this figure.
BrightEdge · May 20, 2026measured4.3% → 11.6%Gemini's share of AI referral traffic, Q4 2025 to Q1 2026not disclosedNearly tripled. BrightEdge does not disclose the sample size or methodology behind this figure.↳ We compared what Gemini and ChatGPT actually cite for local queries
BrightEdge · May 20, 2026measured1.1% → 2.3%Claude's share of AI referral traffic, Q4 2025 to Q1 2026not disclosedMore than doubled. BrightEdge does not disclose the sample size or methodology behind this figure.BrightEdge · May 20, 2026measured5.3% → 4.6%Perplexity's share of AI referral traffic, Q4 2025 to Q1 2026not disclosedBrightEdge does not disclose the sample size or methodology behind this figure.
BrightEdge · May 20, 2026measured13.2%Gemini's share by April 2026 – larger than Perplexity, Claude, Meta AI, DeepSeek and Grok combinednot disclosedBrightEdge does not disclose the sample size or methodology behind this figure.↳ Which of them cites local businesses, and from where

AI platform share

Similarweb · Jul 29, 2026measured76% → 53%ChatGPT's share of worldwide generative-AI web traffic, Jun 2025 to May 2026Similarweb traffic panelSimilarweb traffic panel.↳ We compared what Gemini and ChatGPT actually cite for local queries
Similarweb · Jul 29, 2026measuredunder 9% → 27-28%Gemini's share of worldwide generative-AI web traffic, Jun 2025 to May 2026Similarweb traffic panelSimilarweb traffic panel.Similarweb · Jul 29, 2026measuredbarely 2% → close to 9%Claude's share of worldwide generative-AI web traffic, Jun 2025 to May 2026Similarweb traffic panelSimilarweb traffic panel.Similarweb · Jul 29, 2026measured9.5 billionaverage monthly web visits across generative-AI platforms worldwideSimilarweb traffic panelGrew 70% year over year. Unique visitors grew 57% to 655 million.

Ads in AI answers

Similarweb · Jul 29, 2026measured26%of ChatGPT responses contain an adSimilarweb traffic panelAbout a third of ad impressions land in the first response.

Where AI traffic goes

Similarweb · Jun 17, 2025measured37.9MAI referral visits to YouTube in a single month – the most of any site1,000 domains, 1.3B visits1.3 billion referral visits across 1,000 domains, eight AI platforms, May 2025.
Similarweb · Jun 17, 2025measured10.1MAI referral visits to Wikipedia in a single month1,000 domains, 1.3B visitsFacebook 10.9M. Amazon 4.6M.↳ Which domains AI cites for local business questions specifically

Model changes

Evertune · Aug 2026measured37%fewer brands recommended by GPT-5.4 mini than GPT-5 mini≈220,000 promptsAbout 220,000 prompts across 9 product categories, Mar 2026.↳ Model updates move citations – we measured the instability directly
Evertune · Aug 2026measured20% → 87%of ChatGPT responses to product questions showing a shopping widgetEvertune AI Marketing PlatformOct 2025 to Mar 2026.Evertune · Aug 2026measured1 in 8ChatGPT responses showing an ad, July 2026not disclosedEvertune. Sample size not disclosed by the publisher.
Consumer Research

How People Actually Use AI to Find a Business

Published Mar 10, 2026

Adoption, trust, and how far people will act on an AI recommendation without checking it.

Consumer AI use

BrightLocal · Mar 10, 2026surveyed45%of consumers use AI tools for local business recommendationsn=1,002 (455 AI users)Up from 6% in 2025. n=1,002 US adults.↳ So we measured what AI actually cites: two waves, 2,987 local queries, 24,701 citations classified
BrightLocal · Mar 10, 2026surveyed31%used ChatGPT for a local recommendation in the past 12 monthsn=1,002 (455 AI users)n=1,002 US adults.↳ We tested where ChatGPT's local results really come from – 2,880 prompts
BrightLocal · Mar 10, 2026surveyed23%used Google AI Mode for a local recommendationn=1,002 (455 AI users)n=1,002 US adults.↳ We found AI Overviews and AI Mode cite local businesses in almost opposite ways
BrightLocal · Mar 10, 2026surveyed64%of adults aged 30-44 have asked AI for a recommendationn=1,002 (455 AI users)n=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Mar 10, 2026surveyed24%of adults over 60 use AI for local business guidancen=1,002 (455 AI users)n=1,002 US adults.

Trust in AI answers

BrightLocal · Mar 10, 2026surveyed63%of AI users trust the recommendations AI tools given=1,002 (455 AI users)Among 455 AI users within the sample.↳ Worth knowing: we found the same query returns different citations each time
BrightLocal · Mar 10, 2026surveyed97%of AI users double-check AI recommendations against real reviewsn=1,002 (455 AI users)Among 455 AI users within the sample.↳ Sensible, given what we measured about citation stability
BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed23%are willing to rely on AI summaries alone to deciden=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed82%read AI-generated review summariesn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.
Local Search Research

Google Business Profile

Published Jun 26, 2026

Third-party measurement of the local pack, AI local packs and the paid units inside them.

AI local packs

Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured5,943 vs 18,330unique businesses shown in AI local packs vs regular 3-packs322 marketsSame query set. Places Scout rank tracking.↳ Our citation ledger measured which businesses AI surfaces, and from where
Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured32%as many businesses featured in AI local packs as in 3-packs322 marketsAcross 322 markets.Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured88%of markets showed fewer unique businesses in AI local packs322 markets322 markets examined.
Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured7%of tracked keywords showed an AI-powered local pack322 marketsPlaces Scout rank tracking reports.↳ We measured the citation behaviour behind those AI local results

Paid units in the pack

Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured1% → 22%of mobile reports showing local pack ads during 2025322 marketsStart of 2025 to December 2025.
Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured11% → 31%of tracked queries showing Local Services Ads322 marketsStart of 2025 to November 2025.↳ Our LSA benchmarks show what that rising competition did to cost and lead volume

AI referral traffic

Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured0.1% → 2%ChatGPT traffic as a share of Google traffic, over two years322 marketsOne multi-location client.Sterling Sky · Jun 26, 2026measured22%of the traffic that Bing sends, ChatGPT now sends322 marketsOne multi-location client.

Reviews needed to rank

Local Falcon · Jan 14, 2026measured47median Google reviews for a business ranking in the local 3-pack50.4M search results50.4M US search results, 1,993 categories, 2,779,825 profiles.Local Falcon · Jan 14, 2026measured4.3-4.5 starsminimum rating to compete in the local 3-pack50.4M search resultsMost winners sit at 4.8-4.9 stars.Local Falcon · Jan 14, 2026measured20median reviews to rank – home health care, the least competitive category50.4M search results50.4M US search results.Local Falcon · Jan 14, 2026measured215median reviews to rank – plumber50.4M search resultsElectrician 56. Chiropractor 150. Auto repair 188.Local Falcon · Jan 14, 2026measured346median reviews to rank – dentist50.4M search resultsTire shop 413. Breakfast restaurant 976.

Urban vs rural

Local Falcon · Jan 14, 2026measured1.5-2xas many reviews needed to rank in metro areas vs rural50.4M search resultsHVAC contractor: 132 rural, 361 metro.↳ What we changed on a profile to move rankings in 72 hours

Keywords in the business name

Whitespark · Sep 3, 2026measured15.11% vs 3.05%top-3 local pack rate for retail listings with an exact-match keyword in the name, vs without1.4M+ listings, 17 industriesNearly 5x. 1.4+ million local business listings across 17 industries.↳ We changed a profile without touching the name and moved rankings in 72 hours
Whitespark · Sep 3, 2026measured15.59% vs 2.50%top-3 rate for beauty and personal care with an exact-match keyword, vs without1.4M+ listings, 17 industries1.4+ million local business listings across 17 industries.Whitespark · Sep 3, 2026measured29.54%top-3 rate for travel and tourism listings with an exact-match keyword – the strongest effect of any industry1.4M+ listings, 17 industries1.4+ million local business listings across 17 industries.Whitespark · Sep 3, 2026measured15.07% vs 5.39%top-3 rate for entertainment and leisure with an exact-match keyword, vs without1.4M+ listings, 17 industries1.4+ million local business listings across 17 industries.Whitespark · Sep 3, 2026measured3.92% vs 2.31%top-3 rate for real estate – the weakest keyword effect measured1.4M+ listings, 17 industriesThe effect is far from uniform across industries. 1.4+ million local business listings across 17 industries.Whitespark · Sep 3, 2026measured15 of 16industries where titles starting with a keyword correlated with more top-3 rankings1.4M+ listings, 17 industries1.4+ million local business listings across 17 industries.
Consumer Research

Reviews and Reputation

Published May 15, 2025

Consumer review behaviour, star-rating thresholds and response expectations.

Reading reviews

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed97%of consumers read reviews for local businessesn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults, SurveyMonkey panel.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed41%always read reviews when browsing for a businessn=1,002 US adultsUp from 29% in 2025.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed74%seek reviews written in the last three monthsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.

Rating thresholds

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed31%will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or highern=1,002 US adultsNearly double the 2025 figure.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed68%will only use a business rated four stars or highern=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed47%will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviewsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed9%are willing to use a business with five or fewer reviewsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.

Owner responses

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed89%expect a business owner to respond to reviewsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed80%are more likely to use a business that responds to all reviewsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed50%are unlikely to choose a business that posts generic responsesn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed81%expect a response within a weekn=1,002 US adults19% expect a same-day response.

Where reviews are read

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed71%use Google as a review sourcen=1,002 US adultsDown from 83% in 2025.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed27%use Apple Maps as a review sourcen=1,002 US adultsNearly doubled from 14% in 2025.

Leaving reviews

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed69%wrote a review in the last 12 monthsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed83%of those asked to leave a review went on to leave onen=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.

Fake reviews

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed97%think businesses should face punishment for fake reviewsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.

Trust and authenticity

SOCi · May 15, 2025surveyed55%of consumers cite concerns about fake reviewsn≈1,000 US consumersOver 1,000 US consumers.SOCi · May 15, 2025surveyed65%are more likely to choose businesses that respond to reviewsn≈1,000 US consumersOver 1,000 US consumers.

Google's review questions

Whitespark · Aug 6, 2026measured25%of Google Business Profile categories have review questions attached765 businesses, 180 keywords140 of 521 primary categories. 765 businesses across 180 keywords, collected manually.Whitespark · Aug 6, 2026measured40distinct review questions found across the whole data set765 businesses, 180 keywords765 businesses across 180 keywords, collected manually.Whitespark · Aug 6, 2026measured164appearances of the most common question, 'Which services did you get?'765 businesses, 180 keywordsNext most common: 'How would you describe the price you paid?' at 149. 765 businesses across 180 keywords, collected manually.Whitespark · Aug 6, 2026measured14review questions on the restaurant category – the most of any category765 businesses, 180 keywordsBar and hospitality subcategories carry 12 each. 765 businesses across 180 keywords, collected manually.Whitespark · Aug 6, 2026measured120categories that carry exactly two review questions765 businesses, 180 keywords765 businesses across 180 keywords, collected manually.
Behavioural Research

How People Search Now

Published Jun 9, 2026

Zero-click rates, device gaps, and where searches leak away from Google entirely.

Zero-click search

SparkToro · Jun 9, 2026measured68.01%of US Google searches ended without a clickSimilarweb clickstream panelJan-Apr 2026. Similarweb clickstream panel.↳ Where the clicks go instead: we classified 24,701 AI citations across two waves
SparkToro · Jun 9, 2026measured49%of Google searches ended without a click in 2019Similarweb clickstream panelBaseline for the same measure.
SparkToro · Jun 9, 2026measured0.34%of Google searches were routed to AI ModeSimilarweb clickstream panelJan-Apr 2026, US.↳ We measured how AI Mode cites local businesses when it does appear
iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured46.96%of Google searches end without a click13.1B events, 9.1M users13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel. Note: SparkToro puts this at 68.01% for Jan-Apr 2026 using a different panel and definition – the two are not directly comparable.↳ Where the attention goes instead – we classified 24,701 AI citations
iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured+2.6 pointsrise in the zero-click rate over 15 months13.1B events, 9.1M users13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured49% vs 41%zero-click rate, United States vs Japan and Vietnam13.1B events, 9.1M usersPhilippines highest at 54%. 13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.

Device and channel

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed73%of consumers started their last local search on mobilen=1,002 US adults19% used a computer. 8% used a tablet.

After the reviews

BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed54%visit the business website after reading reviewsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed34%are ready to buy or book after reading reviewsn=1,002 US adultsn=1,002 US adults.BrightLocal · Feb 11, 2026surveyed93%have made a purchase after reading reviewsn=1,002 US adults27% spent more than $1,000.

AI adoption

Pew Research Center · Jun 17, 2026surveyed49%of US adults now use AI chatbotsn=5,119 US adultsUp from 33% in 2024. n=5,119 US adults, American Trends Panel.Pew Research Center · Jun 17, 2026surveyed24%of US adults use chatbots dailyn=5,119 US adultsn=5,119 US adults, Feb 17-23 2026.Pew Research Center · Jun 17, 2026surveyed44%of US adults use ChatGPT specificallyn=5,119 US adultsn=5,119 US adults.
Pew Research Center · Jun 17, 2026surveyed60%of Americans say they read AI summaries at search resultsn=5,119 US adultsn=5,119 US adults.↳ What those summaries actually cite for local businesses
Pew Research Center · Jun 17, 2026surveyed42%of chatbot users use them to search for informationn=5,119 US adultsn=5,119 US adults.

Fragmented discovery

SOCi · May 15, 2025surveyed3.6different apps Gen Z consumers use to find and choose a single local businessn≈1,000 US consumersOver 1,000 US consumers.SOCi · May 15, 2025surveyed67%of younger consumers preferred Instagram for local searches over Googlen≈1,000 US consumersOver 1,000 US consumers.

Device gap

iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured66% vs 49%zero-click rate on mobile vs desktop in the United States13.1B events, 9.1M usersUK gap is wider still: 65% mobile against 46% desktop. 13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.

Discovery vs navigation

iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured14%of Google clicks go to a site the searcher actually named13.1B events, 9.1M usersThe other 86% are discovery. 13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.↳ Discovery is exactly what AI answers are absorbing – here is what they cite
iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured76.0%of searches involve a single event only13.1B events, 9.1M users38.2% end after exactly one click. 13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.

Where searches leak

iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured30.5%of would-be Wikipedia searches are intercepted before reaching Google13.1B events, 9.1M usersIMDB 33.4%, Reddit 14.2%, GitHub 12.7%, OpenAI 11.1%. 13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.
iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured720,000navigational searches per week to AI tools combined13.1B events, 9.1M users13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.↳ People are navigating to AI, then asking it about local – we tested what it answers with

Who clicks

iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured7xmore ad clicks from 55-64 year olds than from 18-24 year olds13.1B events, 9.1M users13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.iPullRank · Jul 30, 2026measured33%more often women clicked ads than men13.1B events, 9.1M usersZero-click rates were near identical: 47.5% women, 47.0% men. 13.1 billion search events, 10.2 billion sessions, 9.1 million users, Oct 2024 – Dec 2025. Datos clickstream panel.
Expert Survey

What Practitioners Think Ranks

Published Sep 9, 2026

Where the field believes Google's weight actually sits, from the largest running expert survey.

Top-three factors

Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed57.10%of experts named relevance among the three most important ranking factors131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed54.80%named backlinks among their top three131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed47.60%named content quality among their top three131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed36.50%named authority and trust among their top three131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed29.40%named behaviour and click signals among their top three131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.
Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed27.00%named brand signals among their top three131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.↳ Brand mentions predict AI citation too – our ledger shows which sources carry them
Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed17.50%named technical SEO health among their top three131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.Zyppy · Sep 9, 2026surveyed11.10%named internal links among their top three131 experts, 13,665 points131 SEO experts, 13,665 ranking-factor data points.

Download all figures as CSV – free to cite, with attribution to the original publisher.

Data last updated September 14, 2026

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