B Evidence Grade B Graded accuracy verified by the review judge Safe to Cite Current

1.2%

1.2% -- share of local businesses recommended by ai search for local businesses (2026)

2026  · n=350,000  · SOCi

A study of more than 350,000 business locations found that AI search recommends 1.2% of local businesses.

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Attribution: SOCi View source
Lighthouse Research Team
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Graded Evidence graded

Questions about this data

What is the share of local businesses recommended by ai search for local businesses?

The share of local businesses recommended by ai search for local businesses is 1.2% as of 2026 according to SOCi. This figure is the primary benchmark in the Lighthouse dataset for this segment. Individual results vary by region, channel mix, and audience quality.

What is a good share of local businesses recommended by ai search benchmark for local businesses?

A strong share of local businesses recommended by ai search benchmark for local businesses is 1.2%, using the current serving value as of 2026. This is one serving-eligible observation, not a distribution median; top-quartile comparisons require the underlying distribution. Vertical, audience size, and campaign type all shift what 'good' means.

How does local businesses share of local businesses recommended by ai search compare to the industry average?

The published share of local businesses recommended by ai search serving value for local businesses is 1.2% as of 2026. Individual sectors and audiences may differ substantially; this single observation does not establish an aggregate mean. Quartile comparisons require the underlying distribution, which is not implied by this record.

What factors affect share of local businesses recommended by ai search for local businesses?

Primary drivers of share of local businesses recommended by ai search variation for local businesses include audience segmentation, timing, and channel selection. Methodology documents campaign factors, but this serving record does not quantify the effect of personalization. The current serving value is 1.2% as of 2026.

What share of local businesses recommended by ai search should I aim for as a digital marketer in 2026?

For a digital marketer, the published share of local businesses recommended by ai search serving value is 1.2%; it is an evidence-grade reference, not a personalized target as of 2026. Any performance goal should account for channel mix and audience. Review the methodology before operational decisions; a gap from this serving value does not by itself indicate a structural issue.

Value
1.2%
Unit
Percentage
Data Vintage
2026
Entity
local businesses
Sample Size
350,000
Geography
UK
B
Strong, reliable evidence

Approved for serving with evidence grade B. The record passes the documented quality and serving gates; consult the methodology for provenance details.

61/100 confidence

Single source - not yet corroborated

Extraction
75
Source Trust
60
Citation Chain
20
Independence
30
Methodology
45
Freshness
95
SOCi Primary Tier B
https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/blog/removals-ai-visibility-case-study/ ↗
Confidence: 53/100 Vintage: 2026 Channel: Deep Crawl
Source Article
How a Removals Firm Scored 10/10 for AI Visibility | AI Visibility
The 1.2% problem most local businesses don't know they have Ask ChatGPT to recommend a removals firm near you and it will name two or three. Not a list of forty. A short, confident shortlist. Everyone else is invisible. One study of more than 350,000 business locations found that AI search recommend…
Original Research
SOCi · Original study ↗

SOCi 2026 Local Visibility Index, cited via MapAtlas; study of more than 350,000 business locations

Methodology documented
IndustryRetail Company SizeSMB RegionUK Channelcontent
Plain Text
local businesses: 1.2% share of local businesses recommended by ai search. Source: SOCi (2026). Via Lighthouse Intelligence -- https://lighthousedata.io/data/ai-search-recommends-1-2-percent-local-businesses
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<blockquote cite="https://lighthousedata.io/data/ai-search-recommends-1-2-percent-local-businesses" style="border-left:3px solid #2563eb;padding:12px 16px;margin:16px 0;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#f0f4ff;"><strong>1.2%</strong> -- share of local businesses recommended by ai search for local businesses<br><small>Source: SOCi (2026) · <a href="https://lighthousedata.io/data/ai-search-recommends-1-2-percent-local-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lighthouse Intelligence</a></small></blockquote>
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