Consumers, especially younger ones, are becoming increasingly reliant on online reviews to assess local businesses, according to recent research from BrightLocal.

The report was based on data from a survey conducted in 2018 among 1,000 consumers in the United States age 18 and older.

Some 86% of respondents say they read the online reviews of local businesses.

The researchers found clear differences in the use of reviews among age groups: Half of consumers age 18-34 say they always read the online reviews of local businesses, compared with just 6% of consumers age 55+.

Some 39% of consumers age 18-34 say they trust online reviews of local businesses as much as personal recommendations, and 24% say they trust them as much as personal recommendations if they believe the reviews are authentic.

Respondents say a local businesses needs at least 10 reviews to be trustworthy; that's up from the 7 reviews in the 2017 edition of the survey.

Some 37% of consumers age 18-34 say their typical next step after reading a positive review of a local business is to visit/contact the firm.

In contrast, just 24% of consumers age 55+ say their typical next step after reading a positive review of a local business is to visit/contact the firm.

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in 2018 among 1,000 consumers in the United States age 18 and older.