Online reviews for a local business matter twice: customers read them before they call, and they are part of the reputation signals AI tools can draw on. Unitrux builds review and reputation strategy into visibility for U.S. service companies.
By Trux Nguyen, Founder and Director of Unitrux, with 5 years in marketing and SEO. Published 25 October 2026. Last updated 25 October 2026.
A competitor with fewer years and a louder star rating wins the call you expected. It feels unfair, but it follows from how people choose. This article uses the latest U.S. consumer survey data to show how much reviews weigh in the decision and how we treat them in a visibility plan.
What U.S. consumers say
BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 questioned 1,026 U.S. adults. Only 4% said they never read online business reviews, so 96% read them at least occasionally. About 20% said that reviews as recent as two weeks old affect their decisions, which is 7 points lower than in 2024. And 18% said they would decide based on an AI-generated review summary alone, while 6% had used ChatGPT or another AI tool to find reviews, down from 9% in 2024.
What the numbers mean
Reviews remain close to universal in the buying process, while the habit of using AI tools directly for reviews is still small and moved in the wrong direction year to year. In our view this is a reason for balance. Reviews are essential today, and AI summaries of them are growing in influence, but nobody should build a strategy on the assumption that assistants have already replaced the review page.
Our expert view: reputation is evidence
Reviews are the most attributable form of evidence a local business has. They name real people, real jobs and real outcomes. That is exactly what makes a business easier to describe and recommend. We therefore treat reviews as part of the evidence layer of GEO, alongside accurate listings and specific service pages.
What we do and what we do not do
We help businesses ask real customers for honest feedback, respond professionally, and make sure review content and business details are consistent across profiles. We do not buy, fake or gate reviews, which breaches platform rules and customer trust.
Related reading
- Local SEO in the AI Era
- U.S. State SEO Demand Report 2026
- AI SEO Services
- Generative Engine Optimization Services
- AEO Agency
- Review Management Services
- People Also Ask
- Schema Markup for SEO
- Search Intent
- All AI search guides
About the author
Trux Nguyen is the Founder and Director of Unitrux, with 5 years of experience in marketing and SEO. Areas of work: SEO, AEO, GEO and AIO, local SEO, content strategy, schema markup, keyword research, Google Ads and analytics. Contact: [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Do most customers read reviews before choosing a local business?
In the BrightLocal 2025 survey, 96% of 1,026 U.S. adults read reviews at least occasionally.
Are AI tools replacing review sites?
Not yet. 6% had used ChatGPT or another AI tool to find reviews, though 18% would decide on an AI summary alone.
Is it acceptable to buy reviews?
No. Fake or purchased reviews breach platform rules and damage trust, and we never use them.
Limits and honest expectations
AI assistants and search engines change their answers over time and no one controls them. Results vary by industry, city and competition, and we do not guarantee a position or a number of leads. We show you what is measurable and report it plainly.
Sources
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 (1,026 U.S. adults, published 29 January 2025): https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey-2025/
- Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to improve your local ranking on Google": https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091
- Pew Research Center, "Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results," 22 July 2025: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/
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