What Percentage of Consumers Use Google to Find Local Businesses?
Facebook is second at only 45%—less than half of Google's reach.
87% of consumers use Google to discover local businesses, making it the dominant platform for local search by a wide margin. The second-place platform, Facebook, captures just 45% of local searches—less than half of Google’s reach.
Data current as of February 2025
Key Statistics at a Glance
- 87% of consumers use Google to find local businesses (Blogging Wizard | 2024)
- 80% search for local businesses at least weekly (SOCi | 2024)
- 46% of all Google searches have local intent (SEMrush | 2024)
- 76% of “near me” searchers visit a business within 24 hours (Google | 2024)
- 86% look up business locations on Google Maps (BrightLocal | 2024)
Google Dominates Local Discovery
When consumers need to find a local business, Google is the default starting point. Here’s how platforms compare:
| Platform | % Who Use It | Primary Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Search + Maps) | 87% | Discovery, directions, reviews, hours |
| 45% | Social proof, recommendations from friends | |
| Yelp | 44% | Restaurants, detailed reviews |
| Apple Maps | 18% | Directions (iPhone default) |
| Bing | 4% | Windows default users |
Source: BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey | 2024
How Often Do People Search for Local Businesses?
Local search isn’t occasional—it’s a habitual behavior for most consumers:
These numbers mean local businesses face a constant stream of potential discovery opportunities—and missed opportunities if they’re not visible.
46% of All Google Searches Are Local
Nearly half of everything searched on Google has local intent. These searches include:
- “Near me” searches: “coffee shop near me,” “plumber near me”
- City-specific searches: “best pizza in Chicago,” “dentist Austin TX”
- Implicit local searches: “pizza delivery” (Google assumes local intent)
- Business-specific searches: Direct searches for business names
With 8.5 billion daily Google searches, 46% local intent means approximately 3.9 billion local searches every day. This is the largest addressable market for any local business marketing channel.
”Near Me” Searches Convert Fast
The urgency of local searches makes them particularly valuable:
- 76% visit within 24 hours after a “near me” search
- 28% result in a purchase within the same day
- Mobile searches have even higher intent—88% call or visit within 24 hours
These aren’t browsers—these are buyers actively looking for solutions. The business that appears first (and looks trustworthy) captures this high-intent traffic.
Google Maps Is the New Yellow Pages
86% of consumers use Google Maps to look up business locations. Maps has become the primary interface for local discovery, combining:
- Business information: Hours, phone, website
- Reviews: Star ratings and detailed feedback
- Photos: Business exterior, interior, and products
- Directions: One-tap navigation to the location
A complete Google Business Profile isn’t just marketing—it’s the digital storefront that 86% of potential customers will see before deciding to visit.
AI Search Hasn’t Changed the Game (Yet)
Despite the rise of ChatGPT and AI assistants, Google’s dominance remains:
While AI tools are growing for certain use cases, local search remains overwhelmingly Google’s domain. Google’s integration of AI Overviews actually reinforces this—they pull data from Google Business Profiles, making GBP optimization even more important.
Sources & Methodology
This analysis draws from the following sources:
- BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey (2024) – Platform usage statistics
- SOCi Consumer Behavior Index (2024) – Search frequency data
- SEMrush Google Search Statistics (2024) – Local intent percentages
- Google Think Insights (2024) – “Near me” conversion statistics
- StatCounter Global Stats (2025) – Search engine market share
Platform usage percentages reflect U.S. consumers who reported using each platform for local business discovery in the past 12 months. Multiple platform usage is common, which is why percentages exceed 100% in total.