98% of consumers read reviews before choosing a local business.
Recent, genuine reviews give a prospective customer information they can inspect before contacting you.
BrightLocal surveyed 1,124 US consumers in November 2021; 98% said they at least occasionally read local reviews while browsing. The survey measured occasional review reading, rather than a review immediately before each business choice. It did not measure an increase in enquiries or ranking.
Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey · Study context and citation →