[New Research] How Families Search for Senior Living in the Age of AI

October 23rd, 2026 by Ren Horst

Key Insights

• 43% of families start their senior living research with a search engine or an AI tool.
• 69% trust a site more when an AI answer cites it.
• 57% seriously consider only two or three senior living communities in their search.
• 44% rule out a community based on something they read online, such as negative reviews.

Search Influence surveyed 300 families to learn how search engines and AI tools shape the way they find senior living. Today, we’re sharing the results in the Senior Living Search Behavior Report, a new study that debuted at the 2026 Senior Care Marketing & Sales Summit (SMASH) and is now open for public viewing.

Respondents were families who are currently searching for senior living or who searched in the past 12 months. Just over half (55%) are currently researching, and 56% are searching for a parent or family member. The mix is even between independent living and assisted living or memory care. Their answers show where families start, what they trust, what they cannot find, and what gets a community crossed off the list before anyone picks up the phone.

The List Gets Built Early

Most families begin their search online. Forty-three percent start with a search engine or an AI tool before contacting any community, and 51% use traditional search engines “a great deal” or “a lot” during their search. Google is the most common entry point.

The preferred list of communities stays short. Fifty-seven percent of families seriously consider only two or three communities, and 77% consider four or fewer. Families are also 68% more likely to consider a community that an AI tool features prominently. By the time a family calls or schedules a tour, the field has already narrowed.

Citations Earn Trust

AI answers carry considerable weight with families researching senior living. Eighty percent of families read the AI Overview when it appears. Sixty-nine percent trust a site more when it is cited in an AI answer, and 65% click through to a cited source most of the time.

Families use AI to compare communities as well as find them. Fifty-three percent use it to compare cost, care level, or amenities across communities, and 46% use it to narrow their community shortlist.

Cost Information Is Hard to Find

Cost and pricing transparency is the most important factor families use to compare communities. It is also the hardest information for them to find online. Communities that publish clear pricing information give families what they are looking for at the exact moment they are comparing.

What Families Read Online Can End a Search

Forty-four percent of families remove a community from consideration because of something they read online. Among those families, 52% cite negative reviews, and 48% cite concerns about the quality of care as the reason. Reviews, website content, and how a community appears in AI answers all factor into a family’s decision before booking a tour.

Download the Senior Living Search Behavior Report

The full Senior Living Search Behavior Report by Search Influence goes deeper into what prompts families to begin their search, how long a typical search lasts, who makes the decision, and how many communities families seriously consider. It also looks at which platforms families use (such as search engines), which AI platforms they use most, how they use AI during research, and how much a page-one Google ranking or placement in an AI answer influences consideration.

For senior living marketers and community leaders, the findings offer a clear picture of how families search today and where visibility matters most.

View the Full Report Here

Search Influence offers senior living marketing services, including organic and AI SEO, paid digital advertising, and email, for communities and care facilities nationwide. Learn more about our approach to senior living SEO and how we help providers reach families as they search.