Want to open an in-demand business? Check out rental cars, dogs, kebab shops

Finding the next big business opportunity may be as simple as surveying America’s Google searches. 

A new nationwide analysis of Google search data, released this week by small-business lender OnDeck Capital, found that car rental companies, tailoring services and several specialty restaurant categories rank among the most sought-after local businesses, offering a snapshot of where consumer demand is strongest — and where entrepreneurs may find room to grow.

The study, reported on by retail trade publication Chain Store Age, compared monthly Google search volume with the number of businesses operating in each business category nationwide and across major U.S. cities using Google’s API. Categories with more searches relative to the number of businesses were considered to have higher consumer demand.

The findings point to a potential mismatch between consumer interest and the number of businesses available to meet it, particularly in specialized service industries.

Car rental companies came out on top as the nation’s most sought-after local business, generating an average of 34 monthly Google searches for every operating business, the study says. That’s nearly 72% higher than the next-highest category — tailoring services — which averaged 19.8 searches per business. 

Restaurant demand varied significantly by cuisine. Kebab shops topped the list with 14.5 searches per business, well ahead of French restaurants (8.7) and Greek restaurants (5.3). Steakhouses, diners, Korean restaurants and Indian restaurants also ranked highly, while Chinese restaurants, Mexican restaurants and donut shops completed the top 10.

The study also found that demand for certain businesses differs sharply by market. Thrift stores, for example, ranked No. 9 nationally but generated substantially more searches in several major cities. They were the most in-demand business category in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Seattle, reflecting stronger consumer interest relative to the number of stores in those markets.

OnDeck says entrepreneurs should view the rankings as one measure of unmet demand rather than a guarantee of success. “For a local business to be sustainable, there has to be a continual and growing community need,” OnDeck Capital says in its report.