Most UK small business websites don’t tell Google or AI who they are
We checked 3,671 independent UK business homepages, from cafés and salons to plumbers and accountants, across the whole UK.
Here’s what we found.
Over half aren’t telling AI who they are
Ask AI for “a good café near me”.
It has to work out who you are, where you are and what you do.
Your website can tell it directly, with a small hidden block of business details.
54.9% of small businesses don’t have it.
Only about a third (35.2%) have it complete.
Bars show our best estimate. The thin lines show the 95% range.
See the numbers
| Group | Share | 95% range | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| No business details in the code | 54.9% | 52.6–57.2% | 3,671 |
| Complete business details | 35.2% | 33.1–37.4% | 3,671 |
| Clear answers to questions | 4.6% | 3.8–5.6% | 3,671 |
So why does that matter to you?
If AI can’t tell who you are, it’s harder to recommend you
AI and Google want to be sure before they suggest a business.
Clear details make that easy. Missing ones leave them guessing.
Guessing can mean wrong opening hours. Or a rival who made it easy instead.
Google says so itself: its local ranking tips start with complete, accurate details.
The good news? The fix is small.
The fix is a hidden name badge on your website
It’s a few lines tucked into your site. Visitors never see it.
It says: this is a business. Here’s its name, address, phone and hours.
Your site may say this in words. The badge removes the guesswork.
Most website builders can add it. Many owners just don’t know it exists.
Want the detail? See Google’s own guide.
Is anyone getting it right?
Café, salon or plumber: it’s the same story
Bars show our best estimate. The thin lines show the 95% range.
See the numbers
| Group | Share | 95% range | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food & hospitality | 58.1% | 54.1–62.1% | 585 |
| Professional | 57.2% | 53.4–61.0% | 636 |
| Retail | 55.5% | 51.6–59.3% | 633 |
| Personal care & leisure | 54.9% | 50.8–59.0% | 559 |
| Health | 52.9% | 49.1–56.7% | 656 |
| Trades | 51.7% | 47.7–55.6% | 602 |
No type of business is doing well.
Trades are slightly ahead. Food and hospitality slightly behind.
Where you are doesn’t change it either.
Wherever you are in the UK, the gap is the same
Bars show our best estimate. The thin lines show the 95% range.
See the numbers
| Group | Share | 95% range | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 61.4% | 55.9–66.7% | 311 |
| North East | 60.6% | 54.9–66.0% | 292 |
| Wales | 60.2% | 54.6–65.5% | 304 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 58.2% | 52.7–63.5% | 311 |
| East | 56.1% | 50.5–61.5% | 305 |
| South West | 55.2% | 49.6–60.7% | 308 |
| Northern Ireland | 53.1% | 47.4–58.9% | 286 |
| Scotland | 53.1% | 47.5–58.5% | 311 |
| North West | 52.8% | 47.3–58.2% | 322 |
| East Midlands | 52.7% | 47.0–58.4% | 294 |
| London | 48.7% | 43.1–54.3% | 302 |
| South East | 48.6% | 43.2–54.0% | 325 |
London and the South East are a little ahead.
The West Midlands, North East and Wales a little behind.
The gaps are small. Every region has work to do.
There’s a second, even bigger gap.
Fewer than 1 in 20 answer the questions customers ask
People don’t type “plumber Leeds” into AI. They ask questions.
“How much to fix a leaking tap?”
“Do you cover weekends?”
Answer them on your site, and AI can quote you.
Bars show our best estimate. The thin lines show the 95% range.
See the numbers
| Group | Share | 95% range | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | 10.1% | 8.0–12.6% | 636 |
| Health | 7.0% | 5.3–9.2% | 656 |
| Personal care & leisure | 5.2% | 3.6–7.4% | 559 |
| Trades | 4.8% | 3.4–6.8% | 602 |
| Food & hospitality | 3.6% | 2.4–5.4% | 585 |
| Retail | 3.5% | 2.3–5.2% | 633 |
Across the UK: 4.6%.
Accountants and other professionals do best, at about 1 in 10.
Shops and food and hospitality do worst.
Here’s how to get ahead of them.
Three free fixes you can do this week
- Check your business details.
- Our free business details checker writes the missing code for you.
- Add five real questions and answers.
- Use the ones customers ask you on the phone.
- Check your whole site.
- Our AI readiness checker lists your top fixes.
No sign-up needed. Both take about a minute.
Rather we did it for you? See how we help.
How we did it
- 5,040 independents picked at random from OpenStreetMap.
- 420 in every UK region, across six types of business.
- 3,671 homepages loaded properly and were counted.
- Chains and big firms left out. Figures double-checked by hand.
Full method, checks and limits →
Ten years growing businesses through search. Early to AI search.
About our team →See what Google and AI can see on your site. Free, in a minute.
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More: our research · method and data credits
Published 19 October 2026. Updated 20 October 2026.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Credits.