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

Claim: Whitespark's Q2 2025 local-search study (a Canadian local-SEO firm) measured:

• 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").
• Local pack appeared on 93% of local-intent queries but only 6% of informational.

Source: Whitespark Q2 2025 study.

Confidence: Industry-consensus (corroborated by 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%)). Whitespark is a Canadian source, but the dataset is global/US not Canada-specific.

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: For Ontario service-business clients in 2026, the Google Business Profile is still the primary local-lead surface — lock it down before anything else.