ChatGPT Instead of Google? How AI Is Changing the Search for Restaurants and Shops

Yext's Consumer Search Behaviors Report 2026 reveals that 84% of respondents use AI applications more frequently than a year ago, though traditional search engines remain the primary method for finding local businesses, with 77% using them. AI tools follow at 41%, and social networks at 39%. 48% of non-users can imagine using AI for local searches within the next six months. Globally, 43% used an AI tool for local business searches in the past month. 27% of German consumers have contacted or visited a previously unknown local business due to an AI recommendation, with 48% of those visits being to restaurants, 44% to retail, and 37% to health services. Challenges arise because businesses cannot directly control their chatbot representations, and AI systems draw from varied sources. Among AI tools, ChatGPT leads, followed by Google Gemini, Meta AI, and Microsoft Copilot. Trust is partial: 79% partly trust AI answers, but only 11% fully trust them, and 96% verify AI recommendations through other means, like search engines (50%) or company websites (48%). Fresh reviews are crucial, as 97% of respondents read reviews of local businesses. This indicates a hybrid search journey where chatbots start the process but users verify via other channels, requiring businesses to maintain accurate and consistent information across all platforms.