It’s not just a real estate adage (or perhaps it still is, if you’re talking about search-result real estate). Local search is huge.
A recent LSA (Local Search Association) survey found that 87% of respondents used a search engine to find a location for a local business, versus 70% who used the business website to find that information. And they found that the conversion rate for those local searches is high – 75% of local-intent mobile searches resulted in physical store visits within 24 hours, with nearly 30% resulting in a purchase.
Search marketers have followed many trends over the years – from optimizing for mobile results to including videos, rich snippets and more – as the composition of Google search results evolves. But now, more than ever, all search is local. Consumers still make online purchases, but frequently, they’ve done all their research online and are looking for that brick-and-mortar location to complete their purchase interaction. And Google’s search results reflect this if your browser is location-enabled:
Especially for non-brand related search (these results would have been much different had I searched for “Finish Line” rather than “sneaker store”) – have you confirmed whether your store is showing up and where you rank?
B2B and B2C enterprises can benefit from a location marketing platform that manages Google Maps locations, photos, reviews, offers and landing pages for specific locations. Learn more about location-based marketing, review management and more.