Some People Are Using Voice Search to Find Local Businesses, But Few Trust the Results

October 8, 2021

This article is included in these additional categories:

Cross-Media & Traditional | Local & Directories / Small Biz

BrightLocal Use of Biz Information Sites Oct2021More than 9 in 10 (94% of) consumers say they have used a business information site to find information about a local business in the last 12 months. But, what happens when information on these sites isn’t accurate? Here’s what a survey from BrightLocal reveals.

The majority of US consumers surveyed say they have used business information sites in the last year in order to find a new business to consider using (66%) and to find information on a local business they already know about but haven’t used (66%). Fewer than half (48%) have used a business information site to find information on a local business they have used before.

By far, Google (including Maps and Local Finder) is the site consumers turned to most in the last year to find information about local businesses. Some 9 in 10 (89%) have used Google, compared to 48% who have used Facebook, the next most-used site for business information. Business review sites Yelp (32%) and Tripadvisor (17%) are also used to learn about local businesses, while others turn to social media sites Instagram (32%) and Twitter (17%) for information.

In the last 12 months, some consumers have opted to use voice assistants, as well. Some 18% have turned to Siri on their Apple devices for information, while others have asked Amazon’s Alexa (16%) or Google Assistant (15%).

With so many people turning to business information sites for information, it behooves these businesses to make sure their information is accurate. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of consumers say that finding incorrect information on a business listing would stop them from using that business. This is particularly true when it comes to the business website, where about three-quarters (73%) of consumers expect to find accurate information on a local business. They are far less inclined, however, to expect voice assistants (16%) to provide accurate information.

A similar survey from 2018 found that 7 in 10 US consumers had experienced effects of inaccuracies found in online information such as calling the wrong number, arriving at a location when it was closed or arriving at the wrong location. It appears the problem may actually be worse now. Some 85% of respondents to this recent survey say they have found incorrect or incomplete information about a business on a business information site in the last 12 months. This may be due in part to businesses being affected by the pandemic.

Nonetheless, many respondents say that information such as incorrect phone number (66%), address (60%), business name (49%) and opening hours (48%) has led to them losing trust in the business.

Read more here.

About the Data: Findings are based on an August survey of 1,141 US-based consumers.

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