Yext finds UK consumers increasingly use AI for local search

Yext’s June 16 UK consumer study found that 36.7% of 600 UK consumers used AI for local search in the past month, a sign that AI is moving into routine local discovery rather than remaining an early-adopter habit. The report also showed momentum inside that user base, with 75% of AI users saying they used it more than they did a year ago and 48% saying they used it much more.

That growth matters because the UK market is not replacing classic local search with a single AI surface. Yext said only 18% of non-adopters had no idea AI could be used for local search, which suggests awareness is already broad and the next layer of growth will come from conversion, not education. The same research points to social media as a major discovery channel, while consumer behavior still includes verification on another platform before action, a pattern that favors brands with consistent information across maps, reviews, websites, and social profiles.

Yext’s earlier UK research, published on August 26, 2025, reinforces that multi-source behavior. In that survey, 91% of Brits said they consult multiple sources before deciding, 55% said they use social media for reviews, and TikTok and Reddit emerged as top discovery platforms in the UK sample. For local businesses, that means the path to a visit or call is often split across AI answers, social proof, and traditional listings rather than controlled by one search box.

The UK findings sit inside Yext’s broader 2026 Consumer Search Behaviors Report, based on 3,848 consumers worldwide. In that global sample, 42.7% used an AI tool for local search in the past month, and 71% of AI users said they were using AI more than a year ago. Yext’s U.S. results were even more aggressive at the top of the market: 47% of adults used AI to find a local business in the past month, and 54.5% of consumers in households earning $150,000 or more started local search with AI.

For multi-location brands, the message is operational rather than abstract. AI visibility now has to work alongside Google Maps, review platforms, location pages, and social channels, because consumers may discover a business in one place, verify it in another, and choose only after the information matches. When the answer is stale, incomplete, or unsupported elsewhere, the business may still be seen, but it is less likely to be selected.