Local SEOhigh impact

60-70% of AI Users Now Search Locally via AI, Reshaping Local SEO for Agencies

By InnovaAI Research2 min readNearmedia

Between 60% and 70% of AI users have turned to AI for local search, according to recent research, signaling a shift agencies cannot ignore. Google remains the dominant starting point, but BrightLocal survey data confirm that a significant majority of local searchers consult multiple channels before buying.

Key Facts

01Between 60% and 70% of AI users have used AI for local search, per Near Media research.
02BrightLocal consumer survey data show a significant majority of local searchers consult more than Google during their buying process.
03Industry practitioners Joy Hawkins, Andrew Shotland, Paula French, and Matt McGee highlighted the growing role of chat UI and AEO alongside traditional SEO.
04SOCi's F.A.C.T.S. model (Freshness, Authority, Consistency, Trust, Structure) provides a cross-channel optimization framework.
05Google remains the dominant local search starting point but social and AI channels are active in the mid and top funnel.

Why does this matter for agencies?

▶Between 60% and 70% of AI users searching locally means a substantial share of any local client's audience is already using non-Google surfaces for discovery.
▶Citation inconsistency that was tolerable in classic SEO can now suppress a business in AI-generated local answers, creating a new class of audit failure.
▶Clients who only receive traditional rank reports are missing visibility into the AI and social channels where purchase decisions are increasingly initiated.
▶The F.A.C.T.S. framework gives agencies a structured way to sell expanded local presence services grounded in an established content model.

What should agencies do?

Run a structured citation consistency audit across AI-indexed sources including Yelp, Apple Maps, and social profiles for each local client, correcting any name, address, or phone discrepancies found.

medium effort

Add AEO tracking to monthly local SEO reports, documenting whether clients appear in AI Overviews or chat-based local results for their core query categories.

medium effort

Build a recurring content freshness schedule for each local client covering Google Business Profile posts, local landing page updates, and review responses on a defined cadence.

low effort

Present clients with a brief explainer on multi-channel local attribution using BrightLocal's consumer data to illustrate how purchases now cross Google, AI, and social touchpoints.

low effort