Consumers may not be replacing Google with generative AI as quickly as some industry narratives suggest. A new field study from CraigAds indicates that, at least for local purchasing decisions in Carroll County, Georgia, consumers are using AI and traditional search for different stages of the decision-making journey.

CraigAds surveyed 62 West Georgia residents face-to-face in July 2026. The study collected 5,828 local-search answers across 94 real purchasing decisions. According to the company, the findings suggest that AI is increasingly being used to understand and evaluate a need, while Google remains important for verifying businesses, locating nearby providers and initiating contact.

The distinction could have implications for marketers adapting to the changing search landscape. Rather than treating AI search and traditional search as competing channels, local businesses may need visibility across both discovery environments.

Market Landscape

The CraigAds study found that search behavior varies significantly according to the complexity and urgency of a purchase. Beauty-related decisions produced the highest AI-search usage in the study at 24.2%. CraigAds attributes this to consumers needing to compare products, styles and providers—activities that lend themselves to conversational AI.

Plumbing emergencies showed a sharply different pattern. AI searches accounted for only 6.5% of searches in that category, while consumers were more likely to turn to Google Maps to locate immediate assistance.

Roofing searches similarly demonstrated the continuing importance of conventional search. CraigAds reported that Google captured 58.1% of leads for the scenario "your roof is leaking," rising to 74.9% for searches for a "roofing company."

The findings also point to a potential gap between businesses and consumers in AI adoption. CraigAds said local business owners are increasingly using AI for activities such as inventory management, scheduling, email and marketing, while consumer usage remains more limited in everyday purchasing behavior.

Strategic Outlook

The study's most important implication for marketers is that AI visibility does not necessarily replace local SEO. Businesses may need to optimize for conversational discovery while maintaining strong visibility in Google Search and Google Maps.

For marketers, this creates a more fragmented customer journey. AI can influence consideration and comparison, while traditional search can remain the final bridge to a local provider. This makes accurate business information, location signals, reviews, relevant content and clear conversion paths increasingly important.

CraigAds reported that 85.5% of surveyed Carroll County residents had used AI to learn more about local services, while 59.7% said they use AI daily or weekly. However, the company cautioned that its 62-person sample is small and that additional research is needed.

The findings therefore should be viewed as an early local-market signal rather than evidence of a nationwide behavioral shift.

Top Insights

• AI and Google can serve different stages of the same buying journey.
• More complex purchasing decisions showed greater AI usage in the study.
• Urgent local needs continued to favor Google Maps.
• Local SEO remains relevant even as AI-driven discovery expands.
• Small-business AI adoption may be moving faster than consumer adoption.

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