How Consumers Search for Local Businesses in 2026: Mobile, Google, and the Role of AI
84% of consumers searched for a local business online in the past three months, according to new research from BrightLocal, and 73% of those searches began on a mobile phone. Google Search remains the leading starting point at 52%, while AI tools entered the journey for 23% of consumers and are increasingly used to build shortlists before final decisions.
BrightLocal surveyed 1,227 US consumers who had searched for a local business in the previous three months. The findings describe a mobile-first, multi-channel journey in which Google still leads, AI is gaining ground, and verification happens across platforms.
Where does the local business search journey begin?
For 73% of consumers, the most recent local business search began on a mobile phone. Just 19% used a computer, and 8% used a tablet. Mobile dominance held across age groups, though older consumers leaned more toward computers and tablets. Among respondents over 60, 57% started on mobile and 33% on a computer, while mobile accounted for 71% of starting points in the 18 to 29 group.
A slow-loading mobile site, a social profile missing a clickable phone number, or images that are hard to read on a phone can send a potential customer to a competitor before any conversation begins.
Where does the journey go after the starting point?
More than half of consumers (52%) started their most recent local business search on Google Search, with another 9% beginning on Google Maps. Across the full journey, 71% used Google Search at some stage. The remaining 39% of searches started on a different channel, including social media, AI tools, review sites, and mapping apps, none of which dominates on its own.
Three quarters of consumers (75%) used more than one channel during their most recent local business search. Quick decisions, often made in under 30 minutes, still move between platforms to gather the information needed before calling or visiting.
Social media was used by 30% of consumers during the journey, AI tools by 23%, and review sites by 19%. Around two in five consumers who began their search on social media, AI, voice search, review sites, or Apple Maps returned to Google before making a decision.
How are AI tools fitting into local search?
AI is now part of the local search process for a meaningful share of consumers. 23% used AI tools during their most recent local business search, and 31% say they use AI for local business recommendations at least monthly. Only 19% said they would not consider using AI to find a local business at all.
Using AI and trusting it are different things. Of consumers already using AI for local searches, only 18% felt ready to contact the business recommended by an AI tool without further checking, and the rest went on to verify details through Google or other channels.
Of consumers who started their search on an AI tool, just 2% used it as their only channel; 43% went on to check Google, and 39% looked at social media. By comparison, 33% of consumers who started on Google Search stopped there, satisfied with what they found.
Consumers are using AI to build a shortlist, but the final decision still tends to happen elsewhere. AI visibility matters, and so does being consistent and easy to verify across every channel a customer might check.
What should local businesses do?
- Claim and optimize a Google Business Profile so the business shows up in local search results.
- Make sure the website works well on mobile, with fast load times and contact details that are easy to find.
- Track local rankings on mobile as well as desktop, since positions can differ between the two.
- Keep business information on social media, review sites, and other directories accurate and up to date.
- Monitor what AI tools say about the business, and be ready for customers to fact-check those details.
Local search is no longer a single click. It is a journey across multiple channels, often completed in minutes. The businesses that appear consistently throughout that journey are the ones most likely to make the shortlist.
Source: BrightLocal, Consumer Search Behavior & Channels research, based on a survey of 1,227 US consumers who had searched for a local business in the prior three months.
FAQ
How many consumers searched for a local business online recently?
In BrightLocal’s survey of 1,227 US consumers, 84% had searched for a local business online in the previous three months.
What device do most consumers use to start a local search?
73% of consumers began their most recent local business search on a mobile phone, followed by 19% on a computer and 8% on a tablet.
How much do consumers trust AI recommendations for local businesses?
Only 18% of consumers using AI for local searches felt ready to contact the recommended business without further checking, and 43% of those who started on an AI tool went on to verify through Google.