16/09/2026
AI isn’t only reading your website. It’s checking what the rest of the internet says about your business too
BrightLocal recently analysed almost 1.97 million sources cited by ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode when answering questions about local businesses
The results showed that AI platforms gather local information from:
✅ Google Business Profiles
✅ Business and industry directories
✅ Review platforms
✅ Social media
✅ Local and national publications
✅ Businesses’ own websites
Google Business Profile generated the largest share of citations overall, while the other sources used varied according to the AI platform, country, and type of business
However, your website still matters enormously: approximately 93% of the individual domains cited were business websites
What does that mean for your business?
Your website, Google Business Profile, directory listings, reviews, and social profiles should all provide a clear and consistent picture of who you are, what you do, and where you operate
Traditional local SEO isn’t disappearing. It is becoming an important part of helping AI platforms understand, trust, and potentially recommend your business
Want to make your business easier to find in both traditional and AI-led search? Talk to the Search It Local team
Source: BrightLocal’s 2026 local AI citation study https://www.brightlocal.com/resources/ai-directory-sources/