The news: Google Search remains the primary discovery channel for local businesses in the US as 52% of US consumers begin their search there and another 9% start with Google Maps, per BrightLocal. 

• Non-Google channels collectively account for 39% of search origins, though none individually rival Google’s share.
• Mobile drives 73% of initial search queries, and only 19% begin on desktop.
• 71% of consumers used Google at some point during their latest local business search, a figure that has held steady YoY. 
• 75% use multiple channels in a single search journey, moving between social media (30%), AI tools (23%), and review sites (19%).

Despite a rise in AI use, trust in genAI results lags behind other platforms. 

• Of consumers who started on an AI platform, 43% cross-checked details on Google before acting, 39% referenced social media, and only 2% relied solely on AI results.
• 31% of consumers use AI monthly for local recommendations, a notable jump from 6% last year, but only 18% of AI users felt prepared to contact a recommended business without verification. 

Implications for brands: Treat your Google Business Profile as the authoritative record. Audit every other channel—like Yelp, TikTok, ChatGPT, and Apple Maps—to ensure business name, hours, phone number, and address match that record exactly. 

Mobile optimization remains critical: Slow pages or unclickable contact info on small screens can redirect customers to competitors.

Google remains the indispensable anchor of local search, not despite the fragmentation, but because of it. When consumers leave Google to explore other channels, the majority return to verify. That makes Google the vital cog in every multi-channel journey and the one platform brands cannot afford to cede, even as its role shifts from starting point to final arbiter.

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