Dive Brief:
- Customers start their search for local businesses on a broad path, according to a Soci survey released last month. While 83% of consumers used a search engine for local business discovery in the past month, 73% used social media, and 19% used AI.
- The search experience doesn’t end there — 91% of consumers use reviews to evaluate local businesses, and 65% are more likely to choose a business that responds to reviews, according to the survey of more than 1,000 people in the U.S.
- Experience is particularly important to Gen Z when looking at reviews. The generation ranks convenience, quality and peer feedback above brand reputation when searching for a local business.
Dive Insight:
While brands can’t control how consumers search, they have greater control over the customers’ experience looking for more information.
Businesses should offer information built on transparency and good sourcing, according to Noam Dorros, director analyst for search marketing and consumer goods at Gartner. The types of content can vary, but the key is that it matches what customers want on their discovery journey.
“Brands must focus on what’s directly in front of them, which is their consumers, and learn about their search behaviors and preferences,” Dorros said in an email. “The topics that are critical for their consumers is the content that should be prioritized by brands.”
Even though AI is making it easier for consumers to find answers, consumers are spending more time searching for proof, according to Soci. ChatGPT may offer an initial recommendation, but many shoppers will turn to other sources, like social media or reviews, for more insight into a business’ customer experience.
Consumers’ hesitance around AI is in part due to feeling wary of content that feels generic, inauthentic or lacks a personal touch, according to Oliver Wright, global consumer industries lead at Accenture.
Companies can promote trustworthy third parties like review sites, in addition to creating their own content, to build trust with customers.
“All brands must optimize for discoverability in an AI-mediated world by creating high-quality, frequently updated content and amplifying credible third-party signals like reviews and social posts,” Wright said in an email.
