How your business presents online matters, maybe now more than ever, and below are a few statistics that prove it.
By Jaimie Siegle | Advertising Systems, Inc.
1. 71 percent of digital users go to Google to read reviews about a local business before making a purchasing decision, according to research released this year.
This listing establishes legitimacy, and manages your profile page on Google and Google Maps. It includes basic information like website, phone number, business hours, and perhaps most importantly, customer reviews. A 2026 survey found that 41 percent always read reviews when browsing, meaning it’s crucial to A) manage negative and/or fake reviews and B) strive for at least a 3- to 4-star rating.
2. Reviews and other user-generated content (UGC) has shown to drive 63% year-over-year revenue growth
In the days before the internet, the best recommendations came by word-of-mouth; in today’s digital age, an online review written by a real person is the next best thing. The other thing we love about UGC? It’s content that can be repurposed in your next social post or weekly email campaign.
3. According to a 2025 report, 85 percent of consumers bought a service or product after watching a video about it.
Remember our blog post about short-form content? Its continued popularity is not just for social media: it’s keeping users engaged on your website longer, and driving both foot traffic and e-commerce.
4. More than 40 percent of Gen Z uses social media when researching information about a business.
Research from a separate study notes that Gen Z survey respondents spent approximately an hour on YouTube and an hour on TikTok per day. Whether it was a sponsored ad recommended by an influencer or a promotion on a content creator’s video channel, businesses targeting this demographic might consider allocating marketing spend on these platforms.
5. Social commerce sales in the U.S. set to surpass $100 Billion in 2026
The eMarketer study included social networks including Facebook and Pinterest. With this statistic and mine, and the notion that Millennial and Gen Z buyers are doing much of their buying directly through their phones, small businesses would be apt to consider digital storefronts, as well as customer service solutions, directly through social apps like Facebook and YouTube.
TL;DR
The bottom line? Google still matters, and thus your Google Business listing does too.
Google reviews (as well as reviews on Facebook and Yelp) are a type of user-generated content that help to establish trust in your brand, driving both social buzz and revenue.
Millennials and Gen Z frequently look to Facebook and Instagram to research businesses before visiting them in person. Additionally, many of them make purchases directly through social platforms including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, giving businesses more incentive to keep their most relevant social profiles up-to-date.
