Reviewed by Joe Chierotti, CEO, Defamation Defenders · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read
Almost everyone reads online reviews before choosing a local business: in BrightLocal’s 2025 survey of 1,026 US consumers, only 4% said they never read them. But trust is falling, with 42% saying they trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, down from 79% in 2020, and consumers are increasingly suspicious of AI-written and incentivized reviews. Responding to reviews and asking for them by email both matter.
- Only 4% of consumers never read online reviews.
- 42% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, down from 79% in 2020.
- Only 7% don’t expect businesses to respond to reviews.
- 40% are most likely to leave a review when asked by email.
- 46% would be suspicious of a review written by AI.
Table Of Content
How consumers read reviews
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Consumers who never read online business reviews | 4% |
| Consumers who use two or more review sites | 74% |
| Consumers who read AI review summaries first | 48% |
| Consumers who used ChatGPT or other AI to find reviews | 6% |
Trust in reviews
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Trust reviews as much as personal recommendations | 42% (down from 79% in 2020) |
| Would be suspicious of an AI-written review | 46% |
| Would be suspicious of a paid or incentivized review | 42% |
We remove reviews that break platform rules, with pay after removal available.
Responses and review requests
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Don’t expect owners to respond to reviews | 7% |
| Most likely to leave a review when asked by email | 40% (up from 32%) |
| Most likely to leave a review when asked in person | 27% |
| Wrote a business review in the past year | 29% |
Source and what it means
All figures above come from BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 (1,026 US adults, published January 2025). The takeaway: keep a steady flow of genuine reviews, respond to all of them, and remove fakes, because consumers notice.
Since October 2024, the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews has banned fake reviews and suppressing honest reviews through threats or incentives.
Review statistics FAQs
What percentage of consumers read online reviews?
In BrightLocal’s 2025 survey, only 4% said they never read online business reviews.
Do people trust online reviews?
42% trust them as much as personal recommendations, down from 79% in 2020.
Do customers expect businesses to respond to reviews?
Yes; only 7% said they don’t expect a response.
What’s the best way to ask for reviews?
Email was the top choice, with 40% saying they’re most likely to leave a review when asked that way.
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Defamation Defenders is an online reputation management company, not a law firm. This article is general information, not legal advice.
