Local-business decision speed and shortlist size statistics
BrightLocal's June 24, 2026 report used a representative panel of 1,227 US-based consumers who had searched online for a local business in the previous three months. In that panel, 75% took less than 30 minutes to decide which business they wanted to use, 28% made that decision in under five minutes, and 72% looked at three or fewer businesses before deciding.1
The report measures reported consumer behavior across local-business searches. BrightLocal says the shortlist pattern remains the same across main online channels, including Google, review sites, social media, and AI tools, so the overall shortlist figure is not a Google Maps-only measurement.1
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By Sergey Sulimko, Founder · ·
Compiled from 1 source
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- Oct 21, 2026
What did the BrightLocal survey measure?
BrightLocal published the report on June 24, 2026. Its methodology describes a representative panel of 1,227 US-based consumers who had conducted an online search for a local business in the previous three months.1 The report's introduction rounds the sample to “1,200+,” but its methodology gives the exact panel size used here.
The report separates four search intents: checking the details of a specific business already in mind, finding a business to contact or visit, comparing a few options, and researching costs or options without being ready to contact anyone. BrightLocal does not state the number of respondents in each intent column, so the columns should not be treated as equal-sized groups.
How quickly do consumers decide which local business to use?
BrightLocal reports these overall decision-time thresholds for the panel:1
| Cumulative decision-time threshold | Finding |
|---|---|
| Less than 30 minutes | 75% |
| Less than 5 minutes | 28% |
The report also breaks decision speed down by search intent. The source labels these as cumulative thresholds, not separate time buckets.1
| Decision-time threshold | I wanted to check the details of a specific business already in mind | I was ready to contact or visit a business and just needed to find one | I was looking at a few options before deciding who to use | I was researching costs or options, but was not ready to contact anyone yet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an hour | 87% | 91% | 82% | 72% |
| Less than 30 minutes | 82% | 81% | 73% | 63% |
| Less than 15 minutes | 68% | 57% | 51% | 42% |
| Less than 5 minutes | 40% | 32% | 21% | 21% |
Because the rows use “less than” thresholds, a consumer counted under less than 5 minutes is also inside the less than 15-minute, less than 30-minute, and less than one-hour groups. The rows must not be added together.
How many businesses do consumers consider before deciding?
BrightLocal reports that 72% of consumers looked at three or fewer businesses before making a decision, while 1% looked at more than ten.1
The same report separates shortlist size by the four search intents:1
| Shortlist measure | I wanted to check the details of a specific business already in mind, such as its phone number, address, or opening hours | I was ready to contact or visit a business and just needed to find one | I was looking at a few options before deciding who to use | I was researching costs or options, but was not ready to contact anyone yet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only 1: I contacted the first result I found | 27% | 22% | 8% | 11% |
| 3 or fewer businesses | 80% | 77% | 71% | 53% |
| 5 or fewer businesses | 89% | 89% | 89% | 73% |
| 6-10 businesses | 3% | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| More than 10 businesses | 0% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
These shortlist rows also overlap. “Only 1” is included in “3 or fewer,” and “3 or fewer” is included in “5 or fewer.” The “Only 1” wording is specific to respondents who said they contacted the first result they found; it is not a general claim about everyone who looked at one business.
What this does not show
What do these statistics not tell you?
For the difference between an observed local-search position and other performance measures, see how to track local search rankings. The Google Map Pack explanation describes the local-results surface, while what wrong business information can cost a local business covers a separate set of consumer survey findings.
- They are survey responses, not a record of every search or purchase. The percentages describe what respondents reported about local-business searches.
- They do not establish a ranking or visibility target. The report does not show that appearing in a particular position caused a consumer to consider a business, click it, contact it, or buy from it.
- They do not set a 30-minute deadline for a business. The less-than-30-minute result describes reported decision timing, not the time a business has to respond.
- They do not produce a revenue or conversion estimate. The report contains no result-level measurement of clicks, leads, conversions, customers, or revenue.
- They do not automatically describe every market or business category. The panel is US-based, and the report does not state subgroup counts for its four intent columns or a narrower fieldwork date range.
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Sources
All read Oct 21, 2026
Cite this page
Maps Agent, "Local-business decision speed and shortlist size statistics", updated Oct 23, 2026, maps-agent.com/