AI is changing search. Here's how businesses stay visible

Local businesses now show up across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and AI Overviews. But almost nobody knows how reliably. BrightLocal ran a large-scale study across all three platforms, benchmarked against Google Maps, testing thousands of local queries from multiple locations and repeated over time. The findings show how predictable these platforms really are, and what that means for any local business trying to get visible in them. Join Myles Anderson, CEO and Co-Founder of BrightLocal, as he walks through the data and what agencies and local marketers should do about it.

Why This Matters
Local search is moving into AI answers faster than anyone can measure, and most agencies are flying blind. This session gives agencies and local marketers hard data on how these platforms actually behave, so they can set realistic expectations, spot what they can influence, and focus effort where it moves the needle.

Transcript

1. 󰑒 WE STAND WITH UKRAINE AI is changing search. Here's how businesses stay visible.
2. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 AI is changing consumer behaviour & ‘visibility’ Two new studies in 2026 Consumer Search Behavior Study, 2026 Local AI Visibility Study, 2026 • 1,227 US consumers • 1,355 businesses - US, UK and Australia • How they find and select local businesses in AI and search • 200,000 non-branded prompts across ChatGPT, AI Mode and AI Overviews • All active: searched for a local business online in the last three months • Analysed 1.97 million citations from 116,670 domains
3. 󰑒 WE STAND WITH UKRAINE PART ONE How consumers find local businesses in the age of AI
4. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 Google is still where most customers start, so it should still be your #1 priority. 71% of customers use Google Search at some point in their search. About 2/5 of customers who start elsewhere turn to Google before deciding Source: Consumer Search Behavior Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
5. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 2025 vs 2026: use of AI chat has grown 4x, but Google use remains constant Source: Consumer Search Behavior Study, 2026  2025, brightlocal.com
6. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 75 % 55% of customers used more than one channel in their most recent search. of customers made a decision within 15 mins. Source: Consumer Search Behavior Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
7. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 Businesses need to show up everywhere customers are searching About 12% of consumers who start on Google, go to AI chat before deciding. Social Media & Review sites are rarely the starting point, but often the 2nd stop for consumers. Source: Consumer Search Behavior Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
8. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 Consumers are using AI, but don’t fully trust it (yet!) Only a tiny fraction of customers feel confident enough in AI results to act directly. Source: Consumer Search Behavior Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
9. 󰑒 WE STAND WITH UKRAINE PART TWO How AI understands and recommends your business 1,355 businesses | 200,000 unbranded prompts | 1.97 million AI citations
10. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 Your website is the main data source AI uses to understand your business Business websites make up 93% of the unique websites that AI cites. But AI cites 3rd party sites more often. Source: Local AI Visibility Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
11. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 This is reinforced by a 2nd study: Website ‘signals’ have most influence on AI visibility Website/on-page signals (i.e content, structure & markup) have the biggest influence on AI search visibility. Local Search Ranking Factors Study, 2026, whitespark.ca
12. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 AI also leans heavily on 3rd party sites to build a consistent, verified picture about your business AI cites 3rd party websites more frequently Source: Local AI Visibility Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
13. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 Listings on 3rd party sites count twice as much for AI search as for Google Maps Listings on 3rd party sites have bigger influence on AI search vs Google Maps. Local Search Ranking Factors Study, 2026, whitespark.ca
14. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 GBP dominates citations in Google AI responses. Yelp dominates citations in ChatGPT. GBP is completely absent. Source: Local AI Visibility Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
15. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 AI looks for consensus: so it verifies your details and reputation across hundreds of sites AI draws on data, reviews, & ratings from hundreds of sites to build a clear, consistent view of local businesses. Source: Local AI Visibility Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
16. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 Having a consistent set of positive & fresh reviews across many sites is important Reviews are the second most influential signal in AI visibility. Local Search Ranking Factors Study, 2026, whitespark.ca
17. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 You need a consistent set of positive & fresh reviews across many sites You need to identify the best sites for your business. Aim to build your reputation on 23 along with Google & Yelp.
18. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 AI only recommends 2-4 businesses; you need to work even harder to convince it you're the best With fewer spots in AI answers, you need to be the business that AI trusts most. Source: Local AI Visibility Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
19. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 Being successful in traditional local SEO doesn't guarantee that AI will recommend you We found only a 50% crossover between businesses recommended on Google Maps vs AI chat. Source: Local AI Visibility Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
20. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒 LLMs are creative by nature, so their answers change more than they stay the same On avg. the same business reappears 50% of the time. Some businesses are cited almost all of the time. Source: Local AI Visibility Study, 2026, brightlocal.com
21. 󰑒 WE STAND WITH UKRAINE PART TWO The businesses that AI recommends do these five things consistently well
22. WE STAND WITH UKRAINE 󰑒
23. 󰑒 WE STAND WITH UKRAINE Time for questions