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Do Reviews Still Matter? Study Looks At Changing Consumer Behavior
BrightLocal has released a new report analyzing 15 years of consumer review behavior data. The findings reveal shifts in how people research and buy from local businesses.
Here’s more about the study and what it means for marketers.
Historical Trends
The report tracks the popularity of online reviews. It notes a rise in local business research from 2015 to 2016, which coincided with smartphone ownership reaching 77% among U.S. adults.
This trend peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when 59% of consumers said they researched local businesses nearly daily.
After that, the number of consumers researching local businesses steadily decreased.
Traditional Review Metrics Less Important
Consumers now place less importance on traditional review metrics:
Fewer consumers expect perfect five-...



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