Imagine you’re on vacation and you’re looking for a nice Italian restaurant for dinner. Or maybe you want to check out the area’s most popular record shop or unique bookstore.
How do you go about finding these?
Your answer is probably “Google,” and this alone exemplifies the importance of local SEO.
Before we jump into the statistics, let’s take a step back. What is local SEO, why is it important, and what does it have to do with my business? Here are some common questions people have about local SEO.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it’s the process of improving a website so it ranks highly on search engine results pages, such as Google.
Local SEO also has to do with a website’s visibility, but offers results specific to a geographic area. In other words, local SEO is what allows retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses to show up on Google when you type something like “hair salons near me.”
This type of SEO is strengthened by natural or “earned” search results. This refers to your business’s online appearance when someone searches for your industry’s services near you.
Not sure where to start with local SEO? We can help with that! Sign up for a free GoSite account and experience the game-changing benefits of local SEO firsthand with an optimized website.
GMB stands for Google My Business. Google My Business is a tool Google uses to register and index key information about brick-and-mortar stores, such as their physical address, store hours, contact information, etc. When people search for businesses registered with GMB, this information pops up.
This local SEO tool helps provide up-to-date information for current and prospective customers. Any business that wants to show up in the business listing section of Google’s search results page must register for a Google My Business Account.
Now that you have an overview on what local SEO is, allow us to shed more light on local SEO and why it’s an absolute game-changer for your small business.
1. 97% of search engine users look online to find local businesses. (Go Gulf)
2. 86% of people look up a business location on Google Maps. (Go Gulf)
3. Out of all Google mobile searches, 30% are related to location. (Go Gulf)
4. There are 40-60 billion Google searches each month. (Moz)
5. About 34.6% of product searches start with Google. (eMarketer)
6. Of local searchers, 72% follow up by visiting a local business within 5 miles. (Hubspot)
7. From 2018-2020, there was a 900% increase in local mobile searches, such as for “___ near me.” (HubSpot)
8. 60% of smart phone users use the interactive features of local search results pages to contact a business. (i.e. “click to call” button). (HubSpot)
9. From 2018-2020, there was a 200% increase in online searches including words like “open,” “now,” and “near me.” (HubSpot)
10. Of all smartphone users, 67% prefer ads tailored to their specific zip code or region. (Think with Google)
11. 4 out of 5 consumers use search engines to find local information. (Think with Google)
12. Most popular local SEO searches are for:
13. 18% of local business searches lead to a purchase within one day (Think with Google)
14. 92% of consumer traffic is awarded to businesses who appear on page one of Google. (Joel House Search Media)
15. Local search leads to a purchase 28% of the time. (Joel House Search Media)
16. Only 44% of consumers have claimed their business on Google. (Joel House Search Media)
17. 46% of Google search inquiries are for a specific local search. (SEO Tribunal)
18. 97% of consumers look up a local business online before deciding to visit in person. (99 Firms)
19. 82% of businesses haven’t claimed their business on Bing. (99 Firms)
20. 61% of consumers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly website. (Bright Local)
An up-to-date website and consistent local SEO best practices can have a significant, positive impact on small businesses in 2021. With it, your online listings will look better than ever and customers will easily be able to find you and your services.
Combine that with other game-changing tools—such as online contactless payment and a powerful CRM tool—and your business is ready for take-off.
Better yet? You can try these out all in one place at no cost when you start a free account with GoSite.