Local SEO sounds technical, but the statistics behind it are simple and decisive: most of your potential customers are searching nearby, on a phone, and acting fast. Here are the numbers worth knowing, each cited, with our own data on where tradesmen fall short.
We cover how much search is local, where the clicks go, how fast nearby searchers act, and why reviews and a Google profile decide so much of it.
About this page
About this page: a roundup compiled by LeadFly Websites. External figures are cited and linked inline to their sources (BrightLocal, local-search research and others). Figures described as our own data come from our 2026 audit of 4,895 UK trade businesses. Last updated June 2026.
The key findings
- 46% of all Google searches have local intent, up from 30% in 2019 (local search research).
- The local map pack takes around 44% of clicks in local results, more than organic listings or ads (local search research).
- 76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within 24 hours (BrightLocal).
- Over 90% of consumers research local businesses online, and 74% check two or more review sites first (BrightLocal).
- In our own audit, 48% of tradesmen had fewer than 10 Google reviews, a key local ranking signal most are weak on.
Search is overwhelmingly local, and growing
Nearly half of all Google searches now carry local intent: someone looking for a service, business or place near them. Local-search research puts it at around 46%, up from 30% in 2019, driven by phones and location-aware search. For a trade that works within a few towns, that is almost the entire opportunity.
'Near me' searches keep climbing faster than search overall, and phrases like 'open now near me' are among the fastest growing of all. People are not browsing, they are looking to act, locally and soon.
Where the clicks actually go
At the top of a local search sits the map pack: the small box of three businesses with a map. It is the most valuable real estate in local search, taking around 44% of clicks, ahead of the normal organic results below it. If you are not in it, most local searchers never scroll far enough to find you.
And they move quickly. BrightLocal reports that around 76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within a day. Local search is not idle research, it is intent to hire, often imminently.
Reviews and your Google profile decide it
What gets you into the map pack is mostly your Google Business Profile and your reviews. BrightLocal finds over 90% of consumers research local businesses online and 74% check two or more review sites before choosing. The number, quality and freshness of reviews are among the strongest factors in both ranking and winning the click.
This is exactly where most trades are weak. Our own audit found 48% of tradesmen with fewer than 10 Google reviews. The single most controllable local ranking factor is the one most are neglecting.
What it means for a tradesman
Put the figures together and local SEO stops being abstract. Almost all your customers search locally, on a phone, ready to act within a day. They mostly click the map pack. And the map pack is won with a complete Google profile, consistent details, and a steady flow of reviews.
None of that requires a marketing budget. It requires being set up properly and asking every happy customer for a review. Do that, with a fast website behind it, and you capture the local search demand most of your competitors are leaving on the table.
Frequently asked questions
How much of search is local?
What is the Google map pack and why does it matter?
How do tradesmen rank in local search?
Want to win your local search?
We build fast websites for tradesmen and set them up to work with your Google Business Profile and reviews, so you show up where local customers are searching. From £500, and you own everything. Based in Watford.