The share of people who always read reviews jumped 41% in a year

Before contacting a local business, people check what others say about it. BrightLocal’s 2026 survey shows that habit getting stronger.

What BrightLocal found

• 97% of consumers read reviews of local businesses.
• 41% always read them, up from 29% a year earlier.
• 89% expect owners to respond to reviews, and 19% expect a reply the same day.
• 42% are unlikely to use a business that does not respond to its reviews.

What reviews and questions have in common

A reply to a review shows that someone is listening. So does a quick answer to a question on your website. Visitors judge a business on both: what it has done for others, and how it treats them now.

• Reply to every review, including the good ones, within a week at most.
• Answer visitors’ questions quickly, including outside opening hours.
• Link the two: after a successful job, ask the client for a review.