SOCi Study Finds AI Tools Recommend Multi-Location Brands About as Often as Google Local Search
TLDR
SOCi's analysis finds average AI visibility for multi-location brands has reached 36.1%, roughly matching Google's local 3-pack, with ratings, review volume, Google Maps, and Yelp shaping which brands AI tools recommend.
Optimixed Overview
Optimixed's original report on this story.
SOCi reports that 52% of U.S. consumers now use AI tools for local recommendations at least monthly, up from 9% a year earlier, and that average brand visibility across AI platforms has climbed to 36.1%, close to the 35.9% Google's local 3-pack delivers. Its study of about 3,000 multi-location brands ties higher star ratings and greater review volume to AI recommendations and names Google Maps, Yelp, and business websites as the leading citation sources, as first published by MARTECH.
How we got here: earlier coverage
On September 8, SOCi reported that expanding restaurant chains earned 6 to 7 times more ChatGPT recommendations than contracting ones. On October 5, its 2026 Local Discovery Index found AI adoption for local search had risen from 9% to 52% year over year, and that 67% of users reported receiving wrong information. Now, on November 10, SOCi's analysis finds average AI visibility for multi-location brands has reached 36.1%, roughly matching Google's local 3-pack.
Summary of earlier coverage
- Oct 14Semrush study: AI visibility metrics conflate mentions and citations, obscuring what actually needs fixing
Semrush's 2026 AI Visibility Index found that brands often rank high for being mentioned in AI answers but low as cited sources—or vice versa—meaning a single visibility score hides which problem needs solving.
- Oct 5AI usage for local search jumps sixfold in a year, but trust lags—forcing consumers to verify across channels
SOCi's 2026 Local Discovery Index finds AI adoption for local search jumped from 9% to 52% year-over-year, but 67% of users report receiving wrong information, pushing consumers to verify via reviews, social, and search before deciding.
- Sep 10Study of 120K mentions reveals 4 key signals for multi-location SEO success across ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI models
Search Engine Journal analyzed 120K mentions to identify four key signals that drive multi-location business visibility across five AI models including ChatGPT and Gemini.
- Sep 8Expanding restaurant chains show consistent advantages in local search visibility and AI recommendations, analysis finds
SOCi's analysis of expanding versus contracting restaurant chains reveals expanding brands earn 6–7x more ChatGPT recommendations and maintain consistently higher scores across search, reviews, and social signals.