SOCi.ai's 2026 Local Discovery Index, a July 2026 survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, found 52 percent had used an AI tool to find a local business in the previous 30 days, up from 9 percent a year earlier. Trust has not kept pace: 67 percent of AI users say they were given wrong information about a local business at least once, and 81 percent verify an AI recommendation before making contact.
Why this matters here
If AI is telling people your hours, your address and whether you are worth the drive, your listings and your reviews are doing the selling for you. The same survey found 72 percent favor businesses that reply to their reviews, which costs nothing but a few minutes a week.
First reported by abc17news.com.
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