{"id":1224,"slug":"whitespark-q2-2025-ai-overview-15pct-local-92pct-info","title":"Whitespark Q2 2025 local-search study — AI Overviews appeared on 15% of simple local-intent queries vs 92% informational vs 97% hybrid; local pack appeared on 93% of local-intent vs 6% of informational","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["local-seo","ai-search-citations","ai-mode"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** **Whitespark's Q2 2025 local-search study** (a Canadian local-SEO firm) measured:\n\n- **AI Overviews** appeared on **15%** of simple local-intent queries (e.g., \"tacos San Francisco\") vs **92%** of informational (e.g., \"how long does an eye exam take\") vs **97%** of hybrid (e.g., \"average cost of dental implants in Phoenix\").\n- **Local pack** appeared on **93%** of local-intent queries but only **6%** of informational.\n\n**Source:** Whitespark Q2 2025 study.\n\n**Confidence:** **Industry-consensus** (corroborated by [[local-falcon-ai-overview-17-2pct-commercial-58-3pct-info-2025]]). Whitespark is a Canadian source, but the dataset is global/US not Canada-specific.\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** This is the single most important Ontario-SMB datapoint in the brief. Buyers searching \"electrician near me\" or \"[city] roof repair\" mostly **still see the local pack and the GBP**, NOT an AI summary. Informational queries are where AI Overviews bite. Drives [[rule-gbp-still-primary-local-lead-surface-for-near-me-2026]].","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-businesses-found-on-web-google-smb-june-2026","title":"Research brief: How businesses got found on the web — a then→now timeline (Google-focused, SMB lens, June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"local-falcon-ai-overview-17-2pct-commercial-58-3pct-info-2025","title":"Local Falcon (2025) — AI Overviews on 17.2% of commercial queries vs 58.3% of informational; including a location name reduced AI Overview appearance (35% vs 46%)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"rule-gbp-still-primary-local-lead-surface-for-near-me-2026","title":"Rule: For Ontario service-business clients in 2026, the Google Business Profile is still the primary local-lead surface — lock it down before anything else","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-monitor-priority-keywords-for-ai-overview-and-pack-presence","title":"Rule: Monitor priority keywords for AI Overview presence + local-pack position so the strategy is data-driven, not folkloric","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"caveats-google-history-smb-brief-cost-coercion-vendor-data","title":"Caveats for the June 2026 Google-history SMB brief — cost/causation claims are weak; \"now\" data is mostly US/global not Canada-specific; vendor sources were used skeptically; rollout state is moving fast","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-18T00:10:55.872Z","updated_at":"2026-06-18T00:10:55.872Z"}