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Local SEO statistics: where to find reliable data
Local SEO statistics are repeated everywhere, often without a source and often out of date. We would rather point you to the people who publish the research than repeat numbers we cannot stand behind. Here is how to evaluate any statistic, and where to look for current figures.
How to read a local SEO statistic
Find the original study
A number repeated across many blogs often traces back to one old survey, or to nothing. Click through to the publisher, and check the year, the sample size and who was asked.
Check the date
Search behavior, Google's layouts and AI search change quickly. A figure from several years ago may no longer describe how people search today.
Separate survey opinions from measurements
Surveys of consumers and of SEO professionals report what people say or believe. They are useful, but they are not controlled experiments, and they do not prove that one tactic causes a ranking.
Be wary of precise promises
Claims like "post weekly and rank 15% higher" or "get 25 reviews and reach the top 3" are rarely backed by a method you can check. Real results depend on your market, competitors and starting point.
Primary sources worth checking
These are the publishers of the research most often cited. Check each for its latest edition.
- BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey
An annual survey of how consumers use online reviews when choosing local businesses.
- Whitespark Local Search Ranking Factors
An annual survey of local SEO professionals on which factors they believe influence local rankings.
- Google Business Profile Help
Google's own documentation of how profiles, posts, photos and reviews work.
- Think with Google
Google's published research on consumer search behavior.
- Google Search Central: local business structured data
Google's guidance on marking up a local business so search engines can understand it.
What we do instead of quoting numbers
GravyBlock does not promise rankings or publish results it cannot back with real data. Your free scan measures your own listing, website and reviews, and on a paid plan GravyBlock reports the work it has verified. See the verified work.
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