How often do consumers use voice search to find local businesses in 2026?
The available evidence does not provide a 2026 voice-search prevalence rate. BrightLocal's 2026 consumer report measured channel use during respondents' most recent local-business search, but its published findings do not provide a standalone measure of how often consumers used voice search.1 The latest dated assistant figures in the cited research are historical: 18% recalled using Siri, 16% Amazon Alexa, and 15% Google Assistant during the previous 12 months in a 2021 survey that mixed voice assistants with search engines, maps, social networks and directories.2
By Sergey Sulimko, Founder · ·
Compiled from 3 sources
- Read
- Oct 11 - Oct 23, 2026
What did BrightLocal measure in 2026?
BrightLocal measured the channels consumers used in one recent local-business search, not how often they searched by voice. The 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. Respondents reported on their most recent local-business search. The report was published on July 9, 2026, and the source was read on October 23, 2026.1
| What was measured | Finding | Denominator and scope | What the finding can show |
|---|---|---|---|
| First channel in the most recent local-business search | 52% started with Google Search; 9% started with Google Maps1 | Respondents in the representative panel of 1,227 US-based consumers; each reported one most recent search | First-channel use for that reported search, not a share of all local-search events |
| Google Search used at any point in the same search journey | 71%1 | The same 1,227-person panel and most-recent-search question | Any-channel use during the reported journey, not first-channel use |
| More than one channel used during the same search journey | 75%1 | The same panel and journey-level question | Multi-channel behavior; it does not identify voice use |
| AI tools used during the same search journey | 23%1 | The same panel and journey-level channel summary | Reported AI-tool use; the report does not identify this as voice-search use |
The first-channel and any-channel percentages answer different questions. The figures should not be added together, treated as a frequency per person, or relabeled as voice-search behavior.1
What do the historical voice-assistant figures measure?
The historical figures measure whether respondents recalled using named business-information sites during the previous 12 months, not how often they used voice search to find a local business. BrightLocal surveyed 1,141 US-based consumers in August 2021. Respondents chose from a list of more than 20 business-information sites, including search engines, map providers, social networks, voice assistants and online directories, and reported which they recalled using in the previous 12 months.2
| Named service in the 2021 list | Respondents who recalled using it in the previous 12 months | What the number means |
|---|---|---|
| Siri | 18%2 | Recall of using Siri in the mixed business-information-site list |
| Amazon Alexa | 16%2 | Recall of using Amazon Alexa in the mixed list |
| Google Assistant | 15%2 | Recall of using Google Assistant in the mixed list |
The survey's 18%, 16% and 15% figures are not a single voice-search rate. They are separate shares for named services from a broad site list. They also describe August 2021 fieldwork and a previous-12-month recall period, so they must not be presented as 2026 consumer behavior.2
Can the 2021 percentages be used as a 2026 voice-search rate?
No. The 2021 assistant percentages are historical service-recall measures, not a current estimate of voice-search frequency or local-business discovery. The survey wording does not establish how many times respondents used an assistant, whether a use involved a local business, or whether the interaction was voice-only. The absence of a voice row in the preserved 2026 report does not prove that voice use was zero.1,2
Do these statistics establish a Google local-ranking threshold?
No. Consumer-use percentages do not establish a Google ranking threshold, ranking factor, visit estimate or purchase effect. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. Google also says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking and that it keeps search-algorithm details confidential.3
For the practical profile checks that can support local discovery surfaces, use how to verify a business for Google voice search. That procedure is separate from estimating how many consumers use voice search.
FAQ
The 2026 evidence measures local-search channels, while the named voice-assistant percentages available here are historical, mixed-category recall figures from 2021.
Is the 23% AI-tool figure the same as voice-search use?
No. BrightLocal's 2026 report says 23% of respondents used AI tools during their most recent local-business search journey. The report does not identify that channel as voice search, so the figure cannot be used as a voice-search rate.1
Did 18% of consumers use voice search in 2021?
No. The 18% figure is the share of 1,141 US-based respondents who recalled using Siri in the previous 12 months when choosing from a mixed list of business-information sites. It does not measure voice-search frequency or local-business discovery alone.2
Read the full section
Is there a current percentage for local-business voice-search use?
Not in the cited evidence. The 2026 BrightLocal report supplies current local-search channel measures, but it does not supply a voice-specific prevalence estimate.1
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Sources
- 1Google is #1 for local search, but three-quarters use more than one channelBrightLocalpublished July 9, 2026; representative panel of 1,227 US-based consumers who had conducted an online search for a local business in the previous three months; the report concerns each respondent's most recent local-business search; collection window not separately stated; read October 23, 2026
- 2Business Listings Trust Report 2021: How Do Consumers Use Business Directories?BrightLocalpublished September 8, 2021; 1,141 US-based consumers surveyed in August 2021; respondents recalled which of more than 20 mixed business-information sites they had used during the previous 12 months; read October 11, 2026
- 3Tips to improve your local ranking on GoogleGoogle Business Profile Helppublication date not stated; general guidance for local results on Google Search and Maps; read October 23, 2026
Cite this page
Maps Agent, "How often do consumers use voice search to find local businesses in 2026?", updated Oct 27, 2026, maps-agent.com/