Second annual ranking recognizes the top 100 multi-location brands leading in visibility across search, social, reputation, and AI-driven discovery
SOCi, the leader in agentic workforce solutions for multi-location enterprises, today announced the release of the 2026 SOCi100: The Most Visible Enterprise Brands in Local and AI Search, marking the second consecutive year of its industry-defining ranking.
Derived from SOCi’s 2026 Local Visibility Index (LVI), the SOCi100 evaluates performance across more than 350,000 business locations and over 2,700 enterprise brands. The ranking benchmarks visibility across local search, social media engagement, online reputation, and, for the first time, AI-powered discovery platforms.
As consumer behavior rapidly shifts from traditional search results to AI-generated recommendations, the definition of visibility is changing. It is no longer about ranking on a page. It is about being selected.
The 2026 LVI introduces AI visibility as a core benchmark, analyzing how well enterprise brands surface in AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. SOCi’s research shows that brands with strong local signals — including accurate business information, high review volume and sentiment, and consistent engagement at the location level — are significantly more likely to be surfaced and recommended by AI-driven platforms.
“Visibility today isn’t about ranking. It’s about being selected,” said Monica Ho, Chief Marketing Officer at SOCi. “The brands recognized in the SOCi100 are not only performing in traditional local search and social channels. They are building the operational discipline and data integrity required to win in AI-powered discovery. In an environment where AI often returns a single answer, being visible means being chosen.”
The second annual SOCi100 highlights enterprise brands that have operationalized local marketing at scale, aligning corporate strategy with localized execution to ensure every location is optimized, responsive, and discoverable. These organizations demonstrate that local marketing is no longer a tactical afterthought. It is a core driver of revenue, trust, and competitive advantage.
Key findings from the 2026 Local Visibility Index include:
- AI platforms increasingly narrow consumer choice to a single recommended brand, elevating the stakes for visibility.
- Review volume and sentiment materially influence AI recommendation likelihood.
- Consistent and accurate location data across directories and maps significantly impacts both traditional and AI search performance.
- Localized social engagement contributes to broader visibility signals across search ecosystems.
The SOCi100 serves as both recognition and roadmap for marketing leaders navigating this transformation. For CMOs and digital leaders at multi-location enterprises, the message is clear: fragmented local efforts are no longer sufficient. Winning brands are investing in unified visibility strategies that integrate data accuracy, reputation management, social engagement, and AI readiness.
