Key stat: 52% of US consumers use Google Search for their first local business search, but just 19% go back to it for additional searches, according to a July report from BrightLocal.

Beyond the chart:

• That drop-off happens because most local searches don't end after one query. In fact, 75% of US consumers use multiple channels in a single local search journey, moving between social media (30%), AI tools (23%), and review sites (19%), according to BrightLocal.
• Meanwhile, this verification habit isn't limited to local. Nearly 90% of consumers in the US, the UK, France, and Germany now cross-check search results across multiple platforms, according to Yext.

Use this chart: Drop this in your local search planning deck to show why ranking on Google alone leaves you invisible. Use the two columns to argue for budget across Maps listings, social profiles, and review sites, the places consumers go once that first search doesn't close the deal.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Social Search 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Gen Z AI Users 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the July 2026 BrightLocal "Consumer Search Behavior Survey 2026." 1,227 US consumers who had conducted an online search for a local business within the previous three months were surveyed in 2026. The survey was conducted using a representative consumer panel. The study examined consumer search behaviors, preferences, and decision-making when searching online for local businesses.