Insights / Research
Local businesses and AI answers: what BrightLocal's 200,000-prompt study found
Google Maps mentioned tracked businesses in 66% of searches. AI surfaces did so in 32 to 38%. The study also shows why one test is never enough.
BrightLocal published a large study of local AI search on 16 September 2026. It analysed 200,000 non-branded prompts and 1.9 million AI citations from ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews. The aim was to see which local businesses get recommended and why.
What it found
- Google Maps is not the same as AI. A tracked business was mentioned in 66% of Google Maps searches, but only 32 to 38% on the AI surfaces.
- Answers change between runs. When the same prompt was run repeatedly, the average overlap between result sets was 23% for ChatGPT, 21% for AI Mode and 33% for AI Overviews.
- But businesses do come back. A business that appears once is seen again in about half of later attempts: 50% for ChatGPT and AI Mode, and 58% for AI Overviews.
- Few names per answer. The average across platforms was two to four businesses per answer.
- Your website still matters. 93% of the unique domains used as sources were business sites, and they made up 42% of all citations.
How often a tracked business was mentioned
What this means
For a local business there are three lessons.
- Do not assume your Google Maps ranking carries over. You can be visible in Maps and missing from AI answers. They need separate checks.
- Test more than once. One query on one afternoon tells you little, because the list varies. A fair test repeats each question several times and looks at how often you appear. That is how we measure it.
- Your own website is a main source. Business sites were 42% of citations. A clear, specific, well-structured site is part of being recommended.
BrightLocal also noted that inconsistent inclusion is normal, with 71 to 80% of businesses appearing in half the attempts or fewer. The ones that keep appearing tend to be the ones doing the work.
Caveats
The study is by BrightLocal, which sells local SEO tools, and it covers its tracked locations and prompt sets. Treat the percentages as a picture of that dataset. It is still one of the largest looks at local AI results so far.
If you want to know where your own business stands, request a free audit.