45% of consumers now use AI when they look for a local business. A year earlier it was 6%. Your customer is using ChatGPT to find you. The question is whether you are there.
BrightLocal surveyed 1,002 US adults and published the numbers on March 10, 2026. That is not a trend to watch. That is most of your market changing how it finds you inside twelve months.
There are three ways to show up. Learn it and do it yourself, which costs you hours every week for months. Hire someone who already knows how. Or do nothing and complain about it. I say which lane I would pick, and why the barrier to entry for AI search is lower right now than it has been for traditional Google SEO.
I'm Jeff Fargo. I run Fargo Factor, and I help established businesses get found in AI search. This Fargo Walks episode is the blunt version.
Two-minute check: ask ChatGPT for the best business in your category in your city. See if you are in the answer.
Bring me your business problem. fargofactor.ai
Source
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, "Nearly Half of Consumers are Asking AI for Business Recommendations," March 10, 2026: 45% of consumers use AI to find local business recommendations, up from 6% in 2025
