synupResearch

The data behind local marketing and AI search

Original quarterly research from the Synup network, plus the third-party numbers worth citing. Every stat here is attributed, dated, and built to be copied.

184stats in the library
6categories
12,400locations in the Synup panel
Jul 2026last updated

Original research

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synupQ2 2026
62%of local searches now end without a click
The Invisible Storefront
Local discovery in the AI era
Current edition · Q2 2026

The Invisible Storefront: Local Discovery in the AI Era

What happens to a local business when the answer arrives before the click. Twelve months of search, map, and AI-assistant behavior across 12,400 locations.

62%of local searches end without a click
3.4sources cited per AI local answer
6.8×YoY growth in AI referral sessions
Read the report
synup
41%
Q1 2026

The Accuracy Gap

41% of listings carry at least one inaccuracy across the top 12 directories
synup
0.4★
Q4 2025

Reply Economics

Replying to 3 in 4 reviews moved ratings 0.4 stars in six months
synup
148
Q3 2025

The Agency Load Report

Median agency manages 148 locations per account manager

Every stat, standalone and cite-ready

Synup original research Curated third-party

Each block carries its own number, claim, source and date. Hit Copy citation and you get the stat, the attribution and the canonical URL — formatted and ready to paste.

AI Search / AEO

41 stats
Synup original
62%
of local searches end without a click — the answer is delivered in the results or by an assistant.
Synup, The Invisible StorefrontQ2 2026 · n=1.2M searches
Synup original
3.4
sources are cited, on average, in an AI assistant's local business recommendation.
Synup, The Invisible StorefrontQ2 2026
Synup original
28%
of consumers under 35 begin local discovery inside an AI assistant rather than a search engine.
Synup, The Invisible StorefrontQ2 2026 · n=3,100 consumers
Synup original
19%
of AI answers about a local business contain at least one outdated fact — hours, address or closure status.
Synup, The Invisible StorefrontQ2 2026 · n=8,400 answers
Third-party
6.8×
year-over-year growth in referral sessions from AI assistants to local business websites.
SimilarwebAI Referral Traffic Index, 2026
Third-party
25%
projected drop in traditional search engine volume by 2027 as assistants absorb query intent.
GartnerSearch Behavior Forecast, 2025

Listings

38 stats
Synup original
41%
of business listings carry at least one inaccuracy across the top 12 directories.
Synup, The Accuracy GapQ1 2026 · n=12,400 locations
Synup original
2.1×
more direction requests go to locations with complete hours, categories and attributes.
Synup, The Accuracy GapQ1 2026
Synup original
17 days
median time for an unmanaged listing change to propagate across the major directories.
Synup, The Accuracy GapQ1 2026
Third-party
63%
of consumers have abandoned a business after finding incorrect information online.
BrightLocalLocal Consumer Review Survey, 2025
Third-party
7 in 10
consumers say inconsistent hours across platforms reduces their trust in a business.
Google Business ProfileInsights benchmark, 2025

Reviews

36 stats
Synup original
0.4★
average rating gain in six months for locations that reply to more than 75% of their reviews.
Synup, Reply EconomicsQ4 2025 · n=9,800 locations
Synup original
4.2 days
median review response time — the top decile of operators replies within nine hours.
Synup, Reply EconomicsQ4 2025
Third-party
87%
of consumers read online reviews before visiting a local business.
BrightLocalLocal Consumer Review Survey, 2025
Third-party
9%
revenue lift associated with a one-star increase in a local business's average rating.
Harvard Business SchoolWorking paper, 2024

Local SEO

32 stats
Synup original
71%
of map pack clicks go to the top three results, whatever the category.
Synup, The Invisible StorefrontQ2 2026
Synup original
34%
more profile views for locations that publish to Google Business Profile weekly.
Synup, The Invisible StorefrontQ2 2026
Third-party
46%
of all Google searches carry local intent.
Think with Google2024

Social

21 stats
Synup original
2.6×
the reach for multi-location brands that publish per location versus corporate-only posting.
Synup, Local Social BenchmarksQ2 2026
Third-party
79%
more engagement on posts that include a location tag.
LaterSocial Benchmarks Report, 2025
Third-party
76%
of consumers expect a reply to a social message within 24 hours.
Sprout SocialIndex, 2025

Agency benchmarks

16 stats
Synup original
148
locations per account manager at the median agency on the Synup platform.
Synup, The Agency Load ReportQ3 2025 · n=610 agencies
Synup original
1.7×
longer client retention at agencies that ship white-label reporting on a fixed cadence.
Synup, The Agency Load ReportQ3 2025
Synup original
58%
of agencies now include AI-search visibility in their client scope of work.
Synup, The Agency Load ReportQ3 2025
How we research

Numbers you can put your name next to

Synup originals come from the platform panel — real locations, real search and review activity — not a survey panel guessing at behavior. We publish the sample, the window and the caveats with every figure, and we date every third-party stat we curate.

If a number moves quarter over quarter, we say so and show the prior value. Nothing here is a rounded-up marketing claim.

Read the full methodology
12,400locations in the measurement panel39 verticals, 11 countries
1.2Msearches and AI answers observedRolling 90-day window
4 / yearoriginal reports publishedSince Q1 2024
100%of stats carry source and dateThird-party figures re-verified yearly

The stats describe the problem. Synup fixes it.

Listings, reviews, social and AI-search visibility, run by an agent that works between reports.

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