Google isn't the only place homeowners read reviews anymore

For years, the advice was simple: get Google reviews, and that's it. Google is still the most important place homeowners look. But it's no longer the only one, and the gap is closing.

BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey found that the average consumer uses six different review sites when choosing a business. Google's share of review reading dropped from 83% to 71% in a year. Apple Maps nearly doubled, from 14% to 27%. Facebook, BBB, and Angi all saw more use too.

AI tools are the biggest new player. The same survey found that use of ChatGPT and other AI tools for local recommendations jumped from 6% to 45% in a year. When a homeowner asks an AI tool for a plumber, there's no telling which sites it draws from, which is one more reason to look solid everywhere a homeowner might check.

That doesn't mean you need to chase reviews on six platforms. When it comes to writing reviews, Google still leads by a wide margin. BrightLocal found that 45% of consumers wrote reviews on Google, compared with 34% on Facebook and 24% on Yelp. One clear ask pointing to one place is easier for a customer to act on than a text with five links.

What you should do is make sure every profile a homeowner might find is accurate. Claim your Facebook page, your Yelp listing, your BBB profile, and your Apple Maps place card. Apple offers a free tool for that called Apple Business Connect. Check that your name, phone number, hours, and service area match everywhere. A homeowner who finds a wrong phone number on one site may not try a second time.

Then check those other profiles once a month. If someone leaves a review on Facebook or Yelp, reply to it the same way you would on Google. Those replies are public, and the homeowner reading them doesn't care which site they're on.

Keep Google at the center of it all. PorchPrompt sends every customer a direct link to your Google review page after each job marked complete. That builds your strongest profile where most homeowners still look first, while the rest of your listings stay accurate and ready for whoever finds them.