How customers choose a local business (and what AI will compare)

What the research says about how customers choose

Most advice about how customers choose a local business is opinion. This article uses published surveys only, names who ran each one, and says what they cannot tell us.

Two caveats first. The two main surveys were run by software vendors (BrightLocal and Chatmeter), so treat the numbers as survey answers, not laws. And surveys measure what people say they do, not always what they do. Where we found no sourced figure, we say so instead of guessing.

If you want to see how a customer would compare you today, our free website demo puts 3-4 competitors beside you. It starts with a short call by phone or video, and it is free with no obligation.

The surveys we used

Finding 1: reviews come first

Reviews are the most consistent finding across the surveys.

• Almost everyone reads them. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 97% of consumers said they read reviews for local businesses, and 41% said they always do.
• Local services start with reviews. In Chatmeter’s December 2024 survey, the most likely first step when looking for local services was online reviews (31%). Family and friend recommendations (21%) and looking up services and pricing (21%) followed.
• Half trust strangers about as much as friends. BrightLocal found that 49% of consumers trust online reviews from strangers as much as personal recommendations.

The practical point: for most customers, your reviews are part of your sales page. You do not control them, but you do control how many you ask for and how you reply.

Finding 2: stars, volume and recency all count

Customers do not look at only one number.

• Star rating. BrightLocal found that 68% would only use a business rated four stars or higher, and 31% would only use one rated 4.5 or higher. In Chatmeter’s survey, an average rating of at least 4 out of 5 was the top decision signal (52%).
• Number of reviews. BrightLocal found that 47% would not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews. Chatmeter found that 46% look for a high review count when comparing businesses, and 95% would be likely to trust a business with many reviews over one with only a few.
• Recency. BrightLocal found that 74% look for reviews written within the last three months, and 32% look for reviews from the last two weeks.
• Agreement. Reviews backed up by other reviews with similar sentiment were the top factor in BrightLocal’s list, at 56%.
• Owner replies. BrightLocal found that 37% consider whether the owner has responded to a review.

A few recent, detailed reviews that agree with each other are worth more than a high rating from years ago.

Finding 3: photos and detail make reviews believable

Chatmeter’s survey found that 92% of consumers look at photos in reviews at least sometimes. For local services, the most influential review photos were of the business’s services and pricing (44%), followed by before-and-after customer photos (22%).

The same survey asked what makes people distrust a review: it seems AI-generated (53%), lacks context or detail (52%), is poorly written (47%), shows excessive praise (34%) or has no photos (26%). BrightLocal’s list of what helps a review includes a named reviewer (35%) and a long, detailed review (26%).

So the reviews that persuade are specific, in the customer’s own words, and ideally show the work. Never fake them: the FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule has been in effect since October 21, 2024, and bars fake reviews and allows civil penalties for knowing violations.

Finding 4: many customers then check the website

BrightLocal found that 54% of consumers visit a business’s website after reading positive reviews, up from 32% in 2019. Reviews bring people to your site. Your site then has to confirm what the reviews said, quickly, on a phone.

Google’s own description of local ranking adds a point about profiles. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, that prominence reflects things like reviews and ratings, and that complete and accurate business information helps Google understand what you offer. It also says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking.

Finding 5: AI tools are entering the mix

BrightLocal reports that use of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools for local research rose from 6% to 45% between its 2025 and 2026 surveys. It also found that 40% of consumers trust AI platforms for business recommendations (32% do not), and that 82% read AI-generated review summaries.

Pew Research Center, using tracked browsing from March 2025, found that 18% of Google searches produced an AI summary. Users clicked a traditional result link in 8% of visits to pages with a summary, compared with 15% on pages without one.

What will AI compare?

This is the part where we have to be careful. The AI vendors do not publish a list of what they compare, and nobody outside them can promise a result. Here is what the sources support:

• Google says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no special optimization is necessary beyond standard Search practices. A page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet.
• Google recommends keeping important content available as text, ensuring structured data matches the visible page text, and keeping Business Profile information current.

Our practical reading: the facts customers compare in reviews and on your site are the same facts an AI tool can read. If your services, hours, area, prices or ranges and promises are clear text on your site and match your profile, there is something accurate to quote. If they are missing or contradict each other, there is not. That is a reasoned inference, not a measured result, and no one can guarantee what an AI assistant will say.

What the research does not tell us

We looked for sourced figures on how much price and reply speed drive the choice, separate from reviews. We did not find a current survey that isolates them, so we do not give one. Chatmeter’s data shows that looking up services and pricing is a common first step for local services (21%), which suggests customers do want to see prices. Beyond that, test it yourself. Ask your next five customers how they found you and why they chose you.

A checklist from the research

1. Count your reviews and note the date of the newest one. Aim for steady new reviews, not a burst.
2. Reply to each review, briefly and specifically.
3. Ask for details. Invite customers to say what job was done. Ask permission to share a photo.
4. Add photos of real work and of your services to your profile.
5. Check your site’s first screen on a phone: services, area, hours, next step.
6. Make the facts match between your site and your profile.
7. Write down what you promise, such as a reply time or a written price, and keep it. Our guides on how to differentiate your business and on a why choose us section show how.

For a wider plan, see marketing for local service businesses.

Where we fit

We start with your website. Then we improve your business one step at a time, and you choose every step. We write the copy, you approve it, and scope, price and timeline are agreed in writing first. To see how you compare today, ask for a free demo. Prices are on the pricing page, and the FAQ covers how we work.

Published October 26, 2026. Updated October 26, 2026.