Original Research

Data from the
Central Kentucky market.

We do our own research so you don't have to rely on national averages that don't reflect what's actually happening in Lexington and surrounding markets. Free to read, cite, and share.

All Research Reports

The State of Small Business Branding in Lexington & Kentucky: 2026 Report
Survey ReportMarch 2026 · 14 min read

The State of Small Business Branding in Lexington & Kentucky: 2026 Report

We surveyed 100 small business owners across Central Kentucky on their branding, marketing spend, and digital presence. The results revealed a significant gap between what local businesses want from their marketing and what they are currently investing in.

  • 68% of local businesses have never done a formal brand audit
  • Only 14% have active conversion tracking set up
  • 82% rely on word of mouth but only 29% have a review process
  • Median Google Business Profile had fewer than 18 reviews
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We Audited 50 Central Kentucky Business Websites. Here Is What We Found.
Audit StudyFebruary 2026 · 11 min read

We Audited 50 Central Kentucky Business Websites. Here Is What We Found.

We systematically reviewed 50 small business websites across Lexington and surrounding counties using a structured six-dimension framework. The problems we found were consistent, measurable, and in most cases fixable without a full rebuild.

  • Median mobile PageSpeed score of just 34 out of 100
  • 78% of sites had significant mobile usability issues
  • Only 34% had a clear call-to-action above the fold
  • 38% contained at least one piece of outdated or inaccurate info
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Central Kentucky Digital Marketing Trends Report: 2026
Annual ReportJanuary 2026 · 16 min read

Central Kentucky Digital Marketing Trends Report: 2026

Our first annual look at what is actually working for local businesses in the Lexington metro area — based on data from active client ad accounts, original survey research, and regional market analysis across seven key trends.

  • Local search competition up 28% YoY in home services
  • Google Business Profile drives 2.3x more clicks when fully optimized
  • 71% of local businesses have never run a paid ad campaign
  • AI search is creating new visibility requirements for local businesses
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