How AI Search Is Changing the Way Customers Find Local Businesses

More and more people are searching using tools like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. The way results are shown is changing fast — but getting visible in AI search is simpler than most people think, and most of the steps overlap with good SEO practice you should already be doing.

Not long ago, if you wanted to find a local plumber, you typed "plumber near me" into Google and scrolled through ten blue links. That's still happening — but something new is happening alongside it, and it's growing very quickly.

People are now asking AI tools for recommendations directly. "Find me a reliable electrician in Leeds." "What's the best hair salon near me?" "Who should I call for emergency boiler repair right now?" AI tools — whether that's Google's built-in AI answers, ChatGPT, or voice assistants — are responding with specific business names.

If your business isn't set up correctly online, you won't be one of those names.

45%

of consumers used AI tools to find local businesses in early 2026 — up from just 6% twelve months earlier (BrightLocal)

21M

people in the UK were actively using AI search tools by early 2026

7.5×

growth in AI-driven local business searches in a single year

How does AI decide which businesses to recommend?

This is the question every local business owner should understand. AI tools — whether Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, or Perplexity — pull information from across the web to decide which businesses are trustworthy, relevant, and well-established enough to surface.

They're looking at:

Whether you have a verified Google Business Profile with accurate, up-to-date information
Whether your website clearly states what you do, where you are, and who you serve
Whether your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across multiple online sources
Whether you have genuine customer reviews across Google and other platforms
Whether third-party sources — local directories, trade sites, local news — mention your business

Crucially, the signals that make you visible in AI search are largely the same as the signals that help you rank in traditional Google search. You're not building two separate strategies — you're building one solid foundation that works for both.

The one big difference: AI gives fewer answers

In a traditional Google search, ten results appear on the first page. A customer might look at several before choosing. In AI search, there are typically three names — sometimes just one. If you're not in that shortlist, you don't exist for that customer in that moment.

What this means in practice When a potential customer asks ChatGPT "who's a good plumber near me," the AI returns a handful of names with confidence. There's no scrolling through results. The businesses it lists get the call; the others don't. This makes being well-documented and well-reviewed online more important than ever — even for businesses that have survived for years on word of mouth alone.

Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are increasingly the first stop for local business searches.

What you can do right now

1. Make sure your Google Business Profile is verified and complete

This is step one for both traditional local search and AI search. Google's own AI tools pull heavily from Google Business Profiles when answering local queries. An unverified or incomplete listing is a missed opportunity every time someone searches for your type of business nearby.

2. Make your website clear about who you are and where you work

AI tools read websites to understand what a business does. Your site should clearly state your business name, the services you offer, which towns or areas you cover, your contact details, and your opening hours. This sounds basic — but many business websites bury or omit this information entirely.

3. Build up genuine Google reviews

Reviews are one of the strongest signals in both traditional and AI-powered local search. A business with consistent, recent positive reviews is far more likely to be recommended than one with an empty or outdated review profile. After every successful job, ask your customer for a review and make it easy for them with a direct link.

4. Get listed in local and industry directories

AI tools treat mentions of your business across multiple trustworthy websites as a sign of credibility. Your local chamber of commerce, trade-specific directories (Checkatrade, Rated People, Yell), and any local press coverage all contribute. Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere you appear.

5. Don't ignore Bing

Most UK businesses focus entirely on Google — understandably. But ChatGPT uses Bing's web index when answering local search queries. Setting up a free Bing Places listing takes only a few minutes and is a quick win for AI search visibility that almost no local businesses bother with.

Is this urgent, or can it wait?

The shift is happening fast. Consumer use of AI for local business searches grew more than sevenfold in a single year. The businesses building a solid online presence now — a professional website, a verified Google profile, consistent directory listings, genuine reviews — will be the ones that AI tools recommend when the next customer goes looking.

The businesses that wait are handing that advantage to their competitors.

The reassuring part is that the foundation hasn't changed dramatically. A clear website, a properly set-up Google listing, and happy customers who leave reviews — that's still the playbook. It's just become considerably more important to actually follow it.

Not sure where you currently stand? The quickest test is this: open Google and search for your type of business in your town. Then do the same on Bing. Then ask ChatGPT. See whose names come up. If it isn't yours, you know where to start.