AI Overviews Now Appear on 68% of Local Searches

If you search for a local service in 2026, there's a good chance you'll see an AI-generated summary before you see a single business listing. According to a Search Engine Land study, AI Overviews now appear on 68% of local searches — sitting atop Google's traditional results and pulling information from local business websites, review sites, and forums.

For local businesses, this changes the game. A potential customer searching "best HVAC repair near me" may never scroll past the AI summary. If your business isn't represented in the sources those summaries pull from, you're invisible at the moment of decision.

What this means for you

AI Overviews don't appear from nowhere. They synthesize content from indexed, authoritative sources — local business websites, Google Business Profiles, and review platforms. The businesses that show up in these summaries are the ones with strong local SEO foundations, detailed service pages, and active review profiles.

Three actions to take now

• Beef up your service pages. Write detailed, question-answering content about what you do and where — that's what AI summarizers pull from.
• Keep your Google Business Profile complete and active. Posts, photos, and updated hours all feed the ecosystem.
• Earn and respond to reviews. Review content is a primary source for AI local summaries.

How CGM helps

We build local SEO systems that get you cited in both the map pack and AI Overviews. Request a marketing assessment to see where you stand.