{"id":113262,"date":"2014-08-08T18:42:00","date_gmt":"2014-08-08T23:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/how-important-is-local-search-marketing-2\/"},"modified":"2024-12-21T05:54:47","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T10:54:47","slug":"how-important-is-local-search-marketing-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-gb\/insights\/blog\/local-search\/how-important-is-local-search-marketing-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How Important is Local Search Marketing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the course of the past year, I asked 12 prospective clients what they would do if they wanted to find a local business<\/a>. The overwhelming response from all 12 (as anticipated) was \u201cGoogle it!\u201d, or something akin.<\/p>\n

Beyond my first inquiry, I pressed the issue by asking \u201cWhat words would you use in that search?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eleven of the 12 gave me a response that used the physical location in the search terms: \u201cCosmetics stores near Medford\u201d, \u201cWedding bands in Dayton\u201d, \u201cKids jeans in Longmont, Colorado\u201d, etc. Geo-local is an enormous opportunity to drive relevant, high-intent and ready-to-convert search traffic.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick exercise you can try. Think of a product (or service) \u2013 something you\u2019ve needed recently purchased or are considering purchasing. Try to think beyond just \u201ctype-of-business\u201d and search for something specific (i.e. if I need tax preparation software, I wouldn\u2019t search for \u2018software companies\u2019). Do you need a new landscaper? How about a new home theatre sound system? Now search for that product locally. Are the results exactly what you\u2019re looking for? Here\u2019s what I\u2019m seeing:<\/p>\n

\"local<\/a><\/p>\n

This illustration is the epitome of opportunity. If there was a business that was deep enough with their content and emphasized the importance of location, they probably would have earned my click.<\/p>\n

We say it all the time, today\u2019s consumer has an extremely high expectation of Google and the other search engines. We paint a picture in our heads of what we want, we ask for it explicitly and we expect to be shown something relevant. That\u2019s the way it works, right?<\/p>\n

Marketers need to understand how trends are changing when it comes to local along with the kinds of terms that are losing stock and value. This is some recent data from Google Trends to illustrate. The term \u2018day spa\u2019 has shown a decline in volume for years:<\/p>\n

\"DaySpa1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Generally, when someone is looking for a spa, they\u2019re looking for something close by. Look at the spike in volume for \u201cday spas near me\u201d:<\/p>\n

\"DaySpa2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Local search has put itself on the map over the past two to three years. Consumers are using their phones, tablets and desktops to find what they want instantly, and they\u2019re looking for businesses in their proximity \u2013 usually within five miles of their physical location. Optimisation at the local level is essential for businesses of all sizes to maintain relevancy \u2013 on and offline.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How important is relevancy at the local level?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re heading up a large-scale corporation with thousands of locations nationwide or you\u2019re running a small business with one location, being locally relevant is your lifeline.<\/p>\n

\u2022 50% of mobile searches are to find a local business (61% of those result in a purchase within 24 hours) [Search Engine Watch]<\/p>\n

\u2022 Among mobile searchers, 53% go to the store directly to purchase [DAC\/Kantar Consumer Search Behavior Study]<\/p>\n

\u2022 74% of internet users perform local queries [LinkedIn]<\/p>\n

\u2022 Over 100 million people per month use Google Maps on their phone to locate a nearby business<\/p>\n

\u2022 43% of total Google searches are local in nature [Search Engine Land]<\/p>\n

\u2022 Microsoft claims that 53% of Bing searches have local intent<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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