Local SEO is a marketing strategy to make your business more visible in search engines to potential customers in a specific geographical area. For businesses with a brick-and-mortar storefront, online visibility brings customers to your store.
Read on to get a sense of the local SEO landscape, and use the following statistics to inform your own local SEO strategy.
Local SEO statistics
- Almost all potential customers look up a business online before visiting
- The number of people making “near me” searches is growing
- Local search users are high-intent
- A robust description of your business leads to better ranking
- Businesses in the Google Local Pack get more traffic
- Backlinks help improve visibility on local search
- The more online reviews, the higher the conversion rate
- Almost every consumer reads reviews
- The average rating for a local business sways customer behaviour
- Photos matter to consumers in local searches
- The average local business has more Search views than Maps
- Maps is seen as a reliable source for information about
- Gen Z use multiple platforms when selecting a local business
- Google ranks highest as a source of trustworthy reviews
- AI summaries may appear at the top of local queries
- Most people trust businesses more if they respond to reviews
Optimizing for local search on Google remains a powerful way to reach potential consumers. Here are 16 statistics that demonstrate the value of local SEO:
1. Almost all potential customers look up a business online before visiting
According to research from local SEO platform BrightLocal, 97% of people check out a company’s online presence before visiting a location or making a purchase. Having a clear, accurate and enticing online presence is essential for drawing in customers.
2. The number of people making “near me” searches is growing
Searches including “near me” have grown significantly in the last decade. According to trend forecasting platform Glimpse, in early 2026 there were more than 200 million monthly “near me” searches—a local search with high intent.
According to 2026 data from Semrush, keyword variations for “near me” have a monthly search volume of 7.1 million, with massive interest in local search queries for specific businesses (i.e., pizza places, breakfast spots, and restaurants) among the most widely searched.
3. Local search users are high-intent
Google reports that 76% of people who make local mobile searches visit a business within a day of performing the search
4. A robust description of your business leads to better ranking
According to research from local SEO tool Localo, the top-ranking Google Business Profiles have around 70 words in their descriptions and 250 reviews and images.
5. Businesses in the Google Local Pack get more traffic
When a business earns visibility in Google’s Local Pack, it earns 126% more traffic than those companies not ranking in the top three local ranking positions, according to a report from marketing platform SOCi.
6. Backlinks help improve visibility on local search
Backlinks (a link from another website to your website) are a key factor for local SEO ranking on Google: businesses in Google’s Local Map Pack have an average of 993 backlinks, according to Semrush data.
7. The more online reviews, the higher the conversion rate
According to SOCi data, there’s a nearly 3% lift in Google Business Profile conversions for every 10 new reviews for a business. On average, sites that rank in the top three positions on local search results have 561 Google reviews, according to Semrush.
8. Almost every consumer reads reviews
Nearly 93% of people surveyed by review management platform LocalImpact say they have consulted the online business reviews in the previous 12 months. According to data from local SEO platform BrightLocal, 75% of consumers read reviews for local businesses.
Google is the most popular place to read reviews for local businesses: 86% of consumers consult Google for reviews, according to LocalImpact.
9. The average rating for a local business sways customer behaviour
Customers are discerning: if a business has an online rating of less than four stars, that company won’t be considered by 78% of people surveyed by LocalImpact.
Failing to cultivate an environment that encourages positive reviews means you’re missing potential customers. The same LocalImpact survey shows that a majority of people who leave reviews (65%) do so because they had a great customer experience.
10. Photos matter to consumers in local searches
According to a BrightLocal report, consumers say photos are an important factor for building trust. There was a 3% increase in people citing photos (and videos) as a factor increasing positive feelings toward picking a business.
11. The average local business has more Search views than Maps
On average, local businesses will see nearly 75% of their Google Business Profile views from search: the average of 943 views on Search compared to 317 on Maps, according to a study by BrightLocal. Visibility on either Google space is beneficial to local businesses, and a strong ranking is the result of a complete, helpful and satisfactory profile (including great photos and positive reviews)
12. Maps is seen as a reliable source for information about
According to a BrightLocal survey, people cite Google Maps as among the three most trustworthy sources for local business information, alongside Google and the business’s own website.
13. Gen Z use multiple platforms when selecting a local business
According to a SOCi marketing report, the average number of platforms used by Gen Z while researching local businesses online is 3.6, with that number falling steadily for each older cohort. For businesses trying to convert this younger demographic, a multichannel marketing strategy is increasingly important.
14. Google ranks highest as a source of trustworthy reviews
Across all age groups, Google ranked as the site most likely to provide trustworthy and useful information, according to SOCi. For local businesses, that means your online footprint is a must-have tactic to building credibility and earning your customers’ trust.
15. AI summaries may appear at the top of local queries
AI Overviews, the generative AI-powered summaries that sit atop Google’s traditional search results, appear for 68% of local searches, according to a Search Engine Land study. For many queries, local users now encounter Google’s summary before links to individual businesses.
For a search like “coffee near me,” users continue to see traditional organic search results (because there is local intent, which means a Local Pack with at least three business links and a Google Maps box). However, on longer-tail queries like “where to get a vegan danish in NYC,” Google surfaces an AI Overview. These summaries often pull information from local business websites, alongside content from other platforms (like review sites or Reddit forums).
16. Most people trust businesses more if they respond to reviews
According to a SOCi marketing report, 65% of respondents said that they are more likely to choose businesses that engage with reviews by leaving responses.
Local SEO statistics FAQ
Are 46% of all Google searches local?
First reported by an industry blog in 2018, it’s widely cited that 46% of the estimated 16 billion Google searches made daily have local intent.
How effective is local SEO?
Local SEO, done right, can be very effective for businesses. Local SEO helps a business reach people in a specific region, city or neighbourhood. This targeted effort helps connect business with locally relevant services, or brick-and-mortar stores connect with high-intent potential customers.
Is local SEO in demand?
For businesses who rely on people in their area to frequent their businesses or utilize their services, yes: local SEO is in demand. It’s how businesses connect with high-intent potential customers who are physically located near their operations.
