Consumer Report - The Lowdown On Local Search
Consumer Report - The Lowdown On Local Search
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85%
visit within a week of that search
Top 5 91%
Stats
60%
are likely to make a purchase after
visiting a business they discovered
online
of consumers search
online before visiting a
local business
1/2
Almost half of consumers were put
off visiting a local business by unclear
or high prices (48%) and bad reviews
(46%) online
4th
AI tools are now the fourth most-used
method for local search
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Executive 1 Every Visit Starts Online
91% of consumers search before visiting a business.
3 Speed and Relevance Drive Action
85% of consumers visit within a week of discovering a business
Summary They’ll likely use Google to do it. If your listings aren’t clear,
accurate, and up to date, you’re invisible. Your visibility in local
online.
Local marketing must be built for immediacy. What customers
search is your front door. find must match what they expect, right now.
Consumers don’t just search online—they
act quickly, compare thoroughly, and
walk away fast if something doesn’t feel
2 AI is Rising, but Trust Isn’t There Yet 4 Poor Signals Cost You Sales
right. Here’s what 2,000+ consumers
across the US, UK, France, and Germany AI tools are already the 4th most-used method to find local 48% walked away because prices were unclear or too high;
told us about how they search and what businesses. 46% were deterred by bad reviews.
drives them through the door of local
businesses or keeps them away. Get your business ready now for AI, but double down on Clear and consistent information, competitive pricing, and
conventional trust signals like reviews and clarity. reputation management are critical when it comes to driving
conversions.
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This report reveals the digital determinants that truly drive
consumer decisions, and the ones that don’t. Use it to discover
what works and drop what doesn’t.
As always, we’re on hand to offer advice and guidance about
how you can best take control of consumer behaviour and your
digital presence like never before.
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How People Search—
and Why Digital
Presence Still Wins
TL;DR:
Every Visit Starts with a Search and
Most Visits Happen Fast
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34.1%
Everyone’s
No surprise: People search before visiting. How often do you search for local
The real story is how often, why, and what businesses online before visiting? Sometimes
it means for your bottom line.
Businesses. search.
Some businesses assume their physical
8.8%
missing the high-intent consumers who
40.3%
search first, looking for the top-rated
restaurant or checking store opening Rarely
hours before they even arrive. Often
16.7%
Always 0%
Never
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Google Still Rules Which platforms do you mainly use to search for
local / near me businesses? Please select up to 3.
• Google dominates local discovery (78% Search, 51% Maps). Google Search
77.6%
• Consumers in France are most likely to use social media for Google Maps 51.4%
local search (36%)
Social Media (e.g. Facebook,
34.4%
• Voice search hasn’t really lived up to the hype but with the AI Instagram, TikTok)
that powers it getting smarter, it might still take off. AI Tools (e.g. ChatGPT,
Gemini, Copilot, etc.) 18.6%
Trip Advisor 13.4%
Apple Maps 11.4%
Local Directories
(e.g. Yelp, Trustpilot) 10.4%
Voice Search 9.1%
(e.g. Siri, Alexa)
Bing 7.5%
Other 0.3%
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AI: Emerging Fast,
Trusted Slowly
AI Tools are already the fourth most popular choice for local
search and discovery. 19% are already using ChatGPT, Gemini,
Copilot, or a similar technology to find local businesses.
Google Search
77.6%
But only 9% of consumers said an AI-
Google Maps 51.4% powered recommendation influenced their
Social Media (e.g. Facebook, visit decision last time they ventured to a
34.4%
Instagram, TikTok)
local business.
AI Tools (e.g. ChatGPT,
Gemini, Copilot, etc.) 18.6%
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When asked about preferring AI-powered search results to AI Tools usage by country
visiting business websites or calling businesses, 30% agreed,
36% disagreed, and the remainder were neutral. 23%
USA
19%
To what extent do you agree with the following France
statements about visiting businesses based on 17%
online information? UK
Consumers are curious about AI, but embedded in more parts of the search
curiosity doesn’t equal trust. While experience. Google’s rollout of AI
usage is growing, far fewer say it has Overviews in Europe and the rise of
influenced their decision to visit a local voice assistants mean AI is becoming an
business. For now, conventional trust intrinsic part of how consumers search.
Usage is notably higher in the United States than in other signals like online reviews and accurate, Brands that prepare now will be ready
markets. 23% of American consumers said they prefer AI detailed listings carry more weight. when AI plays a bigger role in shaping
tools to search for local businesses compared to the 19% real-world visits.
average for all the countries we surveyed. While AI may not be a leading driver
of real-world visits yet, it’s becoming
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How Age Shapes
100%
20%
0%
Other Voice Search Apple Maps Social Media (e.g. Google Maps Google Search 27% of
Some in the (e.g. Alexa, Siri) Facebook, TikTok) Google Maps is Google Search use 18–24-year-olds
older age groups Apple Maps and Voice Search see Social media is most popular increases with age, use AI tools like
specified Yelp as relatively low usage across all age groups. dominant among with younger peaking at 88% ChatGPT, Gemini,
their preferred younger users, consumers, used among those aged or Copilot, the
search platform for with nearly half of by 81% of 14–17s— 65–99, compared highest usage of
local businesses. 18–24-year-olds but just 41% of to 67% in the 14– any age group.
using it to find those aged 65–99. 17 age group.
local businesses.
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Right Place, Right Time When do you typically search
for a local / near me business?
Why Timing is Everything in Local Search
The majority of consumers search for local businesses at the exact moment they need
something, underscoring the importance of being visible and accurate in real time.
However, patterns vary by market. UK consumers are more likely to plan ahead, while
German and US consumers show a stronger link between local search and specific
occasions or free time.
K E Y TAK E WAYS
• French consumers were more likely • At 31%, US consumers specified In the moment I need it 59.3%
than the other nationalities to search ‘when I have free time’ more than Before planning a visit 44.5%
“In the moment I need it” (69%) consumers in other countries. When I have time 27.5%
During a specific time or occasion 27.2%
• British consumers (54%) perform local • In Germany, searching for local When I receive a recommendation 22.1%
searches before planning visits more businesses “during a specific event
When I see an advertisement 20.1%
often than those in France, Germany, or occasion” is much more common
When travelling 24%
and the USA. (43%).
Searching is just the beginning. What consumers see next—and how your
business shows up—determines whether they choose you or move on.
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From Click to Customer
The Online
Signals That
Drive Conversions
and Sales
TL;DR:
How Consumers Choose and Why Your
Digital Presence Needs to Work Overtime
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1. Before the Visit Before visiting a business, what action(s)
are you most likely to take online?
How Consumers Search and Compare
Read reviews 51.3%
Before anyone walks through the door, they’re checking you
out online, and two things matter most: your reviews and Visit the businesses’
website 41.6%
your website.
Clicks for directions 35.5%
51% of consumers say reading reviews is the first thing they
Check photos/
do, followed by 42% who visit a business’s website. Both are menu/services 32.3%
critical trust signals that shape perception and influence intent.
Check Google Q&A 25.3%
If your site is outdated and lacks certain information, or if your
Book an appointment
reviews go unanswered, you’ve lost the chance to make a or reserve 21.2%
positive first impression. Check social
media pages 20.7%
Contact the business
(call, chatbot, SMS) 13.8%
I usually don’t take
any online actions 2.3%
Other 0.2%
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K E Y TAK EOUT S Preferred Contact Method by Country
• Since ‘Clicks for Directions’ is a top • Very few consumers “don’t take any Despite the rise of digital tools, pre-visit phone contact
consumer online action, accurate online action” contradicting the idea that remains a strong preference in many markets. Perhaps phone
location pins and addresses on your many searches are “zero click”. calls deliver answers more quickly when a business’s online
business profiles and directories are presence isn’t enough.
crucial. • Only 2% don’t take any online action. Prefer phone contact:
• The #1 answer in Germany is “Check • Gen Z (14–17) is more likely to check
Google Q&A” selected by 47% of social, while older consumers (65–99) are
Germans while the global average is more likely to book, 35%, the highest of
any group.
46.2% 39.6% 37.7% 26.4%
25% (ranking only #5), closely followed
by “read reviews”.
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2. Making To what extent do you agree with the following statements
about visiting businesses based on online information?
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Consumers prefer What online information helps you to decide which
businesses that reply business to visit? Select the 3 most important.
to reviews.
Read reviews 44.6%
Products or services
offered 41.5%
Consumers
prefer Locations/directions 38.9%
businesses Promotions (e.g.
that reply discounts, special offers) 29.8%
to reviews. Online booking or
appointmen availability 21.5%
Contact details
available 18.5%
You’re being judged on your ratings and Payment options (e.g.
on how you engage. Review responses cashless, card, Apple Pay) 17.4%
are more important than review volume. Parking availability 16.9%
When asked to specify the 3 online Customer photos &
factors that help them to decide which business ambiance 16.9%
businesses to visit, ratings and reviews Other 0.2%
came out on top.
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When asked what influenced What online factors most influenced your decision to
their most recent visit to a visit a local business last time?
local business:
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Clarity, reputation, and For most consumers, a A detailed and accurate
convenience are the strong online reputation business listing was the
factors most likely to was the deciding factor second most influential
FROM OUR FRIE NDS AT GOOGLE:
turn consumer interest in their most recent factor in driving real-
into action. choice of local business. world visits. “At Google, we see 5x more views for
regularly updated Business Profiles,
so we recommend not only filling out
your listing, but also updating it to
share what makes you unique.”
Lisa Landsman
Global Business Development
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3. Acting Fast When consumers typically visit
after deciding on a business
What Happens After Consumers
Choose You 17%
Once a decision is made, the clock starts ticking. Next day
Most consumers don’t wait around, so your online
13%
presence must be accurate and ready, especially
for unbranded, local searches. Outdated hours or
missing info? You just lost a customer. Same day
1%
Other
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K E Y TAK EOUT S
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K E Y TAK EOUT S
4. Purchase After discovering a business online: need something, and 85% visit a
business within a week of finding it
• 60% of consumers say they are likely online. Many act even faster, with 13%
Likelihood After
or very likely to purchase in person. visiting the same day and 17% the
This is even higher for German following day. The likelihood of purchase
consumers (68%). increases the sooner the visit happens
Likely
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5. What Drives
Loyalty and
Repeat Visits Top reasons
for revisiting
0.5% Other
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No need for expensive
Special offers advertising campaigns when
47.5% you can leverage your business
or discounts
profiles to run special offers! FROM OUR FRIE NDS AT GOOGLE:
Just as the right online signals can drive a visit and win a
loyal customer, the wrong ones can stop it in its tracks.
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Red Flags & Roadblocks
What Stops
Consumers in
Their Tracks
TL;DR:
What Drives Consumers Away
• Consumers look to your competitors when
your online presence raises red flags.
• Top dealbreakers include bad reviews,
unclear or high pricing, missing business info,
and poor customer service signals.
• If your competitors are clearer, closer, or
better rated, you’re out of the running.
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Why Consumers What were the main reasons you chose not to visit a local
business after finding it online?
Consumers are comparing your business to other Key details Prices were not Business didn’t Other
nearby options, often in real time. If your online were unclear or clear respond to my
presence creates doubt, they’re gone. unavailable inquiry
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When asked to describe a specific time they chose not to visit
a business, certain themes came up again and again:
Bad reviews
Negative or inconsistent feedback was the biggest
dealbreaker
High or unclear pricing
Especially when compared to similar businesses
Missing or outdated information
Such as opening hours, contact details, or services
Location issues
If the business seemed hard to find or reach
Customer service warnings
Some avoided businesses based on how the owners
replied to reviews or not.
These common issues directly impact whether a customer
visits a business or goes elsewhere.
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About Missing or Unclear Information About Poor Communication or Responsiveness
What Real The company didn’t have a homepage where you I was interested in visiting a dental clinic. Their
Consumers
could get an overview of the services, rough price reviews were unclear, so I called to ask more. They
information or more contact options than just a never replied. That lack of response made my
phone number. That’s not magic—it’s basic. decision for me.
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Stop Guessing.
Start Winning.
Your Playbook for Impact
You’ve seen the data.
Now it’s time to act.
Consumers are searching, comparing, and deciding fast. The question is, will they
find you? And will they choose you?
Here, we distill everything we learned from over 2,000 consumers into focused,
high-impact actions that help you win attention, drive visits, and keep customers
coming back.
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Be Visible Where It Counts
Optimize Your Business Profiles
Your business listings are one of your most powerful visibility tools for “near me” searches.
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Enhance Your Website for Local Visibility
To maximize visibility in local search results and win consumer trust, your website needs to be fast, locally relevant, and built
with SEO in mind. What consumers see on your website must reinforce what they saw in search engine results.
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Win Trust Before
They Walk In
Actively manage your reputation
Reviews remain the top factor influencing consumer decisions. Enable customers
to leave feedback easily by placing QR codes in-store or on receipts. After a visit or
transaction, send review requests via email or SMS to drive higher response rates.
Highlight your best reviews on your website, business profiles, and social channels
to build trust where people see or engage with your business.
Prioritize responding to reviews, as 61% of consumers said they prefer businesses
that reply to reviews. Your response says as much about your business as the review
itself. Use AI tools to scale your responses while maintaining a consistent tone.
Apply sentiment analysis to understand the reasons behind your ratings and turn
that insight into meaningful operational improvements.
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Engage Like It Matters
(Because It Does)
Make it easy to book or contact you
A clunky contact form or broken link might be all it takes to lose the lead. Add clear
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons —like “Book Now” or “Call Today”—on local pages and
profiles. If customers can’t reach you easily, they’ll move on.
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Turn Visitors
into Regulars
Use offers to bring people back
48% of consumers said a special offer would motivate them to
revisit. Use promotions that reward loyalty.
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Make Sense of It All “Our goal has always been to put every
business on the map. Location Performance
Optimization (LPO) is the next step in our
We know it’s not easy. Today’s consumer It’s about mindset. Embracing a clients’ journey to attribute revenue and
journey is fast, fragmented, and revenue-first approach means performance to every dollar spent.
constantly changing. Marketers are shifting from chasing clicks to building
under pressure to maximize visibility, meaningful performance strategies that We achieve this by connecting digital
earn trust, and prove impact, often with tie local marketing activity to business presence directly to revenue. We’re leading
limited tools and disconnected metrics. outcomes. the way with this new approach and
That’s why we created Location Utilize LPO to attract customers, co-developing the next stage with key
Performance Optimization (LPO). It’s increase in-store visits, foster loyalty, clients. I’m incredibly excited about the
a new approach designed to help you and boost revenue for your multi- advancements we’re making and the new
connect your digital presence to real- location brand across its locations amid
standard we’re setting in the industry.”
world revenue. By unifying visibility, the new AI-driven search era.
engagement, reputation, and conversions, Anthony Foy
LPO empowers you to drive measurable CEO of Uberall
revenue impact at every location.
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Final Word
Your next customer is already searching.
They’re comparing your business to others nearby. What they find
online will shape their decision long before they reach your door.
Make that decision easy. Show up. Stand out. And earn their
trust from the very first click.
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About
Uberall is a Location Performance capabilities, Uberall also enables brands
Optimization platform that helps multi- to monitor, respond to, and improve their
location brands connect their digital online reputation at scale. The result:
Uberall
presence into real-world results. It stronger visibility, more consumer trust,
provides a powerful suite of tools to and increased foot traffic and sales.
manage location data, listings, store
locators, messaging, and local social For further information
media—ensuring businesses show www.uberall.com | LinkedIn | YouTube |
up when and where it matters most. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
With integrated review management
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