Numbers reveal valuable insight.
Insights that can help your business make better decisions.
And ultimately convert more visitors into customers.
Here we look at the most important local search and SEO statistics and what they mean.
Local Pack and Customer Reviews
- The local 3-pack appears in the top positions for 93% of local searches
- 92% of consumers read online reviews to determine the quality of a local business
- Consumers pay the most attention to star ratings of a business
Google decided to shrink the local search pack from seven results to three:
Competition for those positions is now even stronger. Only the most relevant sites stand a chance of ranking while the rest will be displayed in the Local Finders page a click away. Previously, we provided a checklist for optimizing your Google My Business listing but to recap:
- Confirm contact information: When first creating your profile on Google My Business, you will be asked to enter in details about your business including its name, address, and phone number. Double check that the information is all accurate.
- Check business hours: Local searches are typically done to find basic information. Confirm that your operating hours are up to date and schedule special hours in advance such as for upcoming holidays.
- Choose the right category: Choosing a category that best describes your business improves the relevance of your listing. Only select those that are actually relevant to your business.
- Write a paragraph: Write a brief paragraph that describes what your business offers. Be sure to also include your target keywords here to improve the relevance of your listing.
- Use schema markup: Schema markup is code you put on your site to display rich snippets in the search results. Schemas can be used to indicate your address, opening hours, and more.
Optimizing your Google My Business profile will improve its visibility in the search results. But another critical piece of your listing is its rating. Thanks to the comprehensive consumer survey as conducted by BrightLocal, we know that a large majority of users read online reviews:
Why is this important?
Because reviews are a form of social proof.
A high star rating indicates that the overall experience at a certain business is favorable. But a one or two star overall rating can cause your conversion rates to plummet. One part of your local SEO efforts should be on obtaining reviews for your business.
Here are some tips:
- Monitor your brand name online and respond appropriately to any negative feedback
- Create a dedicated web page with links to review sites and encourage visitors to submit theirs
- Ask (don’t pay) customers to leave an online review or leave flyers in your business
- Get reviews in a steady progression over time
Obtaining reviews can take some time but stellar ratings can drive more clicks to your pages.
Mobile and Local Search
- 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to search for local information
- 50% of local searches on mobile lead to store visits within a day
- 56% of searches done on the go have local intent
Global traffic on mobile devices has exceeded desktop devices.
Simply put, mobile simply cannot be ignored.
Data from Google on local search behavior reveals compelling figures about mobile and search. Consumers are searching for local information across all devices. And a large percentage of those searches are leading to store visits the very same day. What this means is that ranking in local search has a direct impact on in-store visits.
So how can your business capitalize on these figures?
By investing in a mobile friendly design.
Last year, Google began rolling out its global mobile friendly update.
The update affects rankings for mobile searches. If your site already meets the necessary criteria, it will be rewarded with better rankings in the mobile search results. But if not, there may be a significant decrease in mobile traffic to your pages.
You can use Google’s mobile friendly test to check if your site meets the requirements. If your site is not yet mobile friendly, Google will automatically re-crawl and index the site once it is. Given the prevalence of mobile, this is a critical step to creating a strong brand online.
Conclusion
Local SEO represents an unprecedented opportunity for small businesses.
The statistics revealed here demonstrate the importance of search and mobile. Your potential customers are using search right now to find products or services that your business offers. Focusing on these key aspects means gaining a significant competitive advantage online. One that will ultimately contribute to your bottom line.