Research Study: Google AI Overviews in Local ‘Best’ Searches
Many “best (something)” searches trigger AI overviews. These are typically broader, generic searches like:
“best small business CRM”
“best project management software”
“best AI for video editing”
“best Instagram post times”
I wanted to find out if these “best” searches trigger Google AI overviews for local search results.
Why?
Because I wanted to determine if a local business should write this type of “best” article in order to rank in the Google AI overviews.
I ran a total of 1,000 “best” searches for various local services in 40 cities across United States to find out.
Here are my findings.
Methodology
I conducted “best [category] [city]” searches for 25 local services across 40 major U.S. cities for a total of 1,000 search results.
I recorded which search results displayed Google AI overviews and which did not.
All searches were conducted in incognito mode to avoid personalized results.
Search pattern: best [service] [city]
Time frame: Data collected over 2 days, July 26-27, 2025
Complete raw data: Best [service] Local AI Overviews Research Study
Research Results
Results by Service Category
The data revealed clear patterns in which services trigger AI overviews:
High Trigger Services (50%+ AI overview rate):
Nursing school: 93%
Business consultant: 85%
Graphic designer: 70%
SEO agency: 55%
Web designer: 53%
Medium Trigger Services (20-49% AI overview rate):
Career coach: 48%
Divorce lawyer: 43%
Wedding photographer: 38%
Real estate agent: 25%
Interior designer: 23%
Low Trigger Services (1-19% AI overview rate):
Tattoo artist: 15%
DUI lawyer: 13%
Preschool: 10%
General contractor: 10%
Family lawyer: 5%
Plastic surgeon: 3%
Dermatologist: 3%
House cleaning services: 3%
Vet: 3%
Zero Trigger Services (0% AI overview rate):
Dentist
Gym
Hair salon
Nail salon
Italian restaurant
Mexican restaurant
Results by Geographic Market
Average AI overview rate across all 40 cities was 24%. However, AI overview rates also varied significantly by city, ranging from 8% to 48%:
Highest AI overview cities:
New York: 48%
Los Angeles: 44%
Dallas: 36%
Portland: 36%
Lowest AI overview cities:
San Jose: 8%
Indianapolis: 16%
Miami: 16%
Minneapolis: 16%
Memphis: 16%
Findings
Finding 1.
Service type strongly influences whether an AI Overview appears
One group of service categories consistently triggered AI Overviews in over 50% of cities. These included SEO agency, web designer, business consultant, graphic designer, and nursing school. These services are typically research-heavy, high-consideration, and often involve professional expertise or complex decisions. I categorized these as specialized knowledge services.
A second group triggered AI Overviews in 20–49% of cities. This included real estate agent, divorce lawyer, wedding photographer, career coach, and interior designer. These may still involve decision-making and personal fit, but they are more familiar to consumers and often involve a local presence. I categorized these as relational or consultative services.
The third group did not trigger AI Overviews in any city tested. This included dentist, gym, hair salon, nail salon, Italian restaurant, and Mexican restaurant. These are routine, location-driven, high-competition services that are commoditized in nature. I categorized these as local commodity services.
AI overview rates ranged from 0% to 93%, indicating Google’s algorithm treats different service types very differently for local searches.
Finding 2.
Geographic market had minimal influence on AI Overview presence
AI Overview frequency across the 40 tested cities ranged from 8% to 48%, with an average of 24%.
While there was some variation, the data does not suggest a strong geographic pattern. High-population cities did not consistently rank higher or lower, and most cities clustered around the midrange. This suggests that Google’s decision to trigger AI Overviews is less influenced by geographic market and more dependent on other factors such as the query’s category or search intent.
Observations
Observation 1.
AI Overview placement varied across queries
While conducting the study, I noted that the position of the AI Overview block was not consistent. In some cases, it appeared directly below the search bar; in others, it was pushed further down the page—beneath sponsored result blocks, local service ads, map packs, or carousel-style name lists.
This variation could indicate that Google is testing or dynamically adjusting placement based on query type and result structure.
Observation 2.
I observed that the AI overviews did not follow a single consistent format. Two patterns stood out: some overviews emphasized that “best” is subjective and depends on individual needs; others directly named specific businesses as highly rated or widely recognized for example, for qualities like success or reputation.
This variation may suggest that Google does not rely on a single response format for these queries and instead adjusts based on context, query structure, or available data.
Practical Implications
What to do now.
If you think a “best [service] in [city]” article or page could benefit your business, here’s what to do:
Step 1. Search the phrase yourself
Type “best [your service] in [your city]” into Google on both desktop and mobile. See if an AI Overview appears.
If no.
Consider if writing this type of article is the best strategy for you right now.
If yes.
Go to step 2.
2. Look at how the Google AI Overview is structured
If it’s an It Depends style response and you are better than your competition, this may be a strong opportunity.
If the AI Overview is a listing high-profile names, this typically requires a different strategy.
I will be releasing an It Depends Best [service] [city] article template.
Join the newsletter to get notified when it’s out.
Notes
This research focused specifically on “best [service] in [city]” searches. It did not examine other local search patterns or broader informational queries.
AI Overviews may vary based on device, location, search phrasing, or user context.
Google may be actively testing placements or formats, and results can change over time.
The absence of an AI Overview in current results does not indicate it won’t be introduced later.
This study reflects a snapshot in time and is not predictive of future behavior.
This research study was conducted and written by Alie Jules, based on 1,000 manually tested searches across 40 U.S. cities.