Local Search Behavior: Voice, AI Search, Local Pack and Proximity
Split from
local-seo-signals.md(see its Source Key for the Confirmed, Study and Consensus labels).
Voice Search & Assistants
- 58% of voice searches are for local business information (Study, BusinessDasher)
- Voice queries typically 4-7 words, phrased as complete questions (Consensus)
- 80%+ of Google Assistant voice answers come from top 3 search results (Study)
| Voice Assistant | Primary Data Source |
|---|---|
| Google Assistant | GBP (transitioning to Gemini) |
| Siri (Apple) | Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect) + Yelp |
| Alexa (Amazon) | Bing Places + Yelp + aggregators |
AI Search Impact on Local
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT/AI for local recommendations | 45% of users (up from 6%) | BrightLocal LCRS 2026 |
| ChatGPT conversion rate | 15.9% | Seer Interactive |
| Google organic conversion rate | 1.76% | Seer Interactive |
| AI Overviews on local searches | 68% on average (540 targeted queries); ~0.14% on a broad 500M+ keyword panel | Whitespark 2025; seoClarity March 2025 |
| AI Overview CTR reduction for pos 1 | -58% | Ahrefs, Feb 2026 |
| Brand cited in AIO = organic CTR boost | +35% | Seer Interactive |
| ChatGPT traffic vs Google for local | ~2% | Sterling Sky, Feb 2026 |
| Top 5 AI visibility factors: 3 are citation-related | -- | Whitespark 2026 |
ChatGPT sources: Bing web index (primary), Yelp, TripAdvisor, BBB, Reddit. Does NOT access GBP directly. (Study, Search Engine Land)
Perplexity sources: Authority-first. 40% more from high-authority sites. Averages 21.87 citations per question. (Study, Qwairy)
Local Pack Structure
- Standard: 3 results (universal)
- New: Curated Local Lists (Local Gems, Trending) around position 4 (SOCi, Nov 2025)
- Sterling Sky observed mobile US local packs showing only 1-2 businesses and 32% fewer businesses; do not present "AI-powered local pack" as an official Google feature name
- Local pack ads grew from ~1% to 22% of tracked mobile keywords in 12 months (Sterling Sky/Places Scout)
- Zero-click rate for local-intent searches: up to 78% on mobile (Similarweb)
Proximity & Search Behavior
- 46% of all Google searches seek local information (Study)
- 76% of people who run a local search on a smartphone visit a business within a day (Google, 2016; historical, original page retired)
- 900%+ growth in mobile searches for "___ near me today/tonight", 2015 to 2017 (Think with Google, 2017; historical, narrower than all "near me" queries)
- Proximity varies: urban 1-2 miles, rural 5-10+ miles, specialty/niche = wider (Consensus)
- Google uses dynamic weighting per query: "emergency plumber near me" = proximity-dominant; "best plastic surgeon" = prominence-dominant (Consensus)