In the year 2022, you’re probably well aware of the critical role search engine optimization (SEO) plays in your efforts to attract, engage and convert customers. Taking it a step further, you may even have a local SEO strategy on your radar if your goal is to attract, engage and convert customers in your area. Focusing your SEO efforts on a local level is more important than ever – and we have 20 local SEO statistics on hand to prove it. The information gleaned from the latest local SEO statistics for 2022 will provide you with the valuable insights you’ll need to use them to your business’ advantage.
1) 46% of all Google searches have local intent.
What This Means for Your Business: Nearly half of all Google users are looking for something nearby, and that ‘something’ may very well be businesses like yours. Even if you don’t sell your products or services online, having an online presence is critical if you want your business to be found. Google is by far the most efficient way to get in front of your target market, so you’ll need a strong online presence to gain that key exposure that drives customers through your doors. On that note…
2) 78% of mobile local searches result in an offline sale.
What This Means for Your Business: Mobile searchers are motivated searchers. They want information about your product or service immediately, so if you don’t have the answers they need available to them on your site, there’s a good chance they’ll take their business elsewhere. Make sure you’re providing all of the necessary information for these users to convert before they bounce to your nearest competitor.
3) 76% of users who search for something nearby on a smartphone visit a business within 24 hours.
What This Means for Your Business: People are searching for local businesses on mobile devices because they’re ready to buy now. They’re often looking for more than just information – they’re looking to spend money. If you want your online presence to influence offline sales, you’ve got to meet people where they are, and that means an optimized site with strong content and a clean structure.
4) 86% of consumers find local businesses using Google Maps.
What This Means for Your Business: If you want to be found where customers in your area are looking, you need to show up on Google Maps. This means claiming and your business’s listing, optimizing it with accurate information and keyword-rich content and adding the necessary elements like a phone number, address, photos and website URL. Google’s ranking algorithm prioritizes sites that provide the most helpful information to searchers, so optimizing for Google Maps can give your business a competitive edge in your local market.
5) 56% of local businesses still haven’t claimed their Google Business Profile.
5) 56% of local businesses still haven’t claimed their Google Business Profile.What This Means for Your Business: If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile yet, there’s a good chance that your competitors have. If you’re not there, you’re losing out on a huge amount of potential customers. Claiming your listing and adding information to it not only puts you in front of these customers, but it also makes your business more discoverable to organic Google users as well. Make sure to go through the validation process as soon as possible to make sure that potential customers can find you where they are searching.
6) 75% of users with smart devices use voice search to find local businesses.
What This Means for Your Business: You don’t need Siri to tell you a voice search optimization strategy is crucial to your online presence! Local searchers are using their smart devices to make fast decisions on the go, so if you’re not presenting them with the information they need quickly, you can bet that they’ll leave and find it elsewhere. Make sure your site is optimized for both mobile and voice search by adding relevant content and making your site easy to navigate across devices.
7) Businesses in Google’s local 3-pack yield at least 100% more clicks.
What This Means for Your Business: If you’re not in the local 3-pack, you could be missing out on a huge amount of potential customers. The local 3-pack is Google’s way of displaying the top three results on a local SERP. Being featured in these results gives businesses an organic leg up against their competitors, but it’s not easy to score a plot in this highly coveted piece of real estate. Google rewards websites that are creating high-quality, informative and authoritative content, so be sure to build your local SEO strategy around creating content that search engines and customers in your area will find highly valuable.
8) The average consumer spends 13 minutes and 45 seconds reading online reviews before making a decision about a local business.
What This Means for Your Business: Online reviews could make or break your business in the eyes of your potential customers. Proximity isn’t the only thing they’re looking for when they conduct a “near me” search, they also want to see a collection of positive reviews. They’re expecting to see a lot of them too – in fact, a business with 100 reviews and a 4.5 star rating will generally drive more conversions than a business with 10 reviews and a 5 star rating because the reader has more experiences to form an opinion from. Part of your local SEO strategy should include encouraging your happy customers to leave a 5 star review to bolster the public perception of your brand.
9) 90% of consumers have used the internet to find a local business.
What This Means for Your Business: Your local customers may discover your business by driving past your storefront, but the majority of them will find it online. The best way to capture these customers is through a strong and consistent online presence, so make sure to optimize every channel you use — from social media and blogs to PPC campaigns and beyond — with accurate information about your business. An online presence won’t serve much benefit if it isn’t consistently updated and optimized to reflect your business’s current state.
10) 92% of searchers will work with a business they find on the first page of local search results.
10) 92% of searchers will work with a business they find on the first page of local search results.What This Means for Your Business: If you’re not in the top 10 results for your local keywords, you’re missing out on a huge amount of potential customers. The average click-through rate from the SERP declines significantly after the first page, so it’s essential that your website is optimized for all relevant local searches. When writing your content, focus on the language, keywords and terminology that customers in your area will use when searching for businesses like yours.
11) 48% of consumers turn to Facebook for information about a local business, while 32% rely on Instagram.
(BrightLocal Business Listings Trust Report)
What This Means for Your Business: This is great news for small businesses with an established social media presence, and a huge hint for those who haven’t tapped into these platforms yet. If you’re not heavily invested Facebook or Instagram, their popularity among customers in your area makes it worthwhile to consider adding them to your marketing strategy. Even if you don’t use social media as a primary distribution channel, it’s important that your business is at least present on the platforms where customers are the most likely to look for your information.
12) 85% of consumers have found incorrect or incomplete information about a local business while researching online.
(BrightLocal Business Listings Trust Report)
What This Means for Your Business: It’s important to be proactive when it comes to local SEO, as things like incorrect business information can hinder your ability to convert customers. Make sure that your business is claimed on all major search engines and review sites, and that it has a consistent name, address and phone number across the web. On top of this, be sure to keep your social media profiles up-to-date with accurate information about your business. The last thing you want is to lose out on a potential customer over something as avoidable as an outdated phone number or incorrect business hours.
13) 55% of consumers will research a home care business online before contacting them.
(LSA)
What This Means for Your Business: If your business specializes in home care services like cleaning or repairs, you can bet that a large portion of your potential customers will turn to the internet before calling or visiting your storefront. This is where having a large collection of positive online reviews will be highly beneficial. If you’re able to get your past customers talking about the positive experiences they’ve had with your business, then these online reviews will serve as a huge asset when it comes time to compete for new business.
14) Call leads convert 30 times faster than web leads.
What This Means for Your Business: User-friendliness is critical to a strong local SEO strategy, and this includes making it easy for your customers to get in touch on the go. Users who are searching for your business on a mobile device are likely looking to take action quickly, and may not have time to reach out via email and wait for a response. Make sure that you’ve added a click-to-call function to your contact page and that your Google Business Profile is up-to-date with a current phone number. This will allow potential customers to connect with you instantly, which could mean the difference between a sale or a missed opportunity.
15) There were 350 times more “near me” Google searches in 2019 compared to ten years ago.
(Google)
What This Means for Your Business: Having a strong local SEO strategy in place is more important than ever. Your storefront may be located in a prime spot, but if you’re not visible on Google searches within a few miles of your location, then you could be losing out on a large portion of potential customers. Make sure that your business is claimed across all major search engines and review sites, and that it has a consistent name, address and phone number across the web. Once you’ve got these basic steps down, focus your efforts on creating content that can help establish trust with potential customers in your area.
16) 72% of people say they will visit more local businesses post-pandemic.
(Nextdoor)
What This Means for Your Business: The time to create and implement a solid local SEO strategy is right now. As the world slowly starts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely that people will begin to venture out into their local communities more often. This presents a huge opportunity for businesses that are looking to increase their foot traffic. Make sure that your business is claimed on all major search engines and review sites, and focus your efforts on creating engaging content that can help to establish trust with potential customers. If you can manage to capture a portion of the post-pandemic spending, you’re business could see a significant boost in sales.
17) 97% of consumers make a purchase after looking up a local business on Yelp.
(Yelp)
What This Means for Your Business: A positive presence on Yelp could very well be your company’s secret weapon to capturing the attention of customers in your area. In addition to claiming your business on Yelp, make sure that you’re actively engaging with customers who leave reviews. Respond to both positive and negative reviews in a timely manner, and be sure to thank reviewers for their feedback. If you can manage to create a strong presence on Yelp, you’ll be able to convert more of those “near me” Google searches into paying customers.
18) 54% of people have used their smartphone to Google a store’s hours.
18) 54% of people have used their smartphone to Google a store’s hours.(Oberlo)
What This Means for Your Business: Having an incomplete Google Business Profile could cost you motivated customers who are looking to visit your storefront in the near future. Making sure that your business name, address and phone number are accurate and up-to-date is only the bare minimum – you should also be adding a variety of photos that showcase what your business looks like from the inside and outside. If you’re struggling to find time to manage your Google Business Profile, it’s worthwhile to outsource this to a digital marketing agency that can update it for you.
19) 28% of all clicks go to the first link on a local search result page.
What This Means for Your Business: If you’re looking to increase your visibility on local search engine result pages (SERPs), it’s important to focus on earning high-quality links from authoritative websites. Receiving backlinks from reputable websites like news outlets, collegiate outlets and top thought leadership blogs in your industry can help to improve your website’s authority, which could lead to a higher ranking on SERPs. In addition, make sure that your website is mobile-friendly, as this is now a major ranking factor for local searches.
20) 28% of searches for something nearby lead to a purchase.
What This Means for Your Business: People who are searching for businesses nearby are generally in the market for making a purchase. This makes it even more important for your business to have a strong online presence, as you’ll want to be one of the first businesses that potential customers see when they’re looking for what you offer. In addition to claiming your business on all major search engines and review sites, you’ll also want to focus on creating high-quality content that’s relevant to your local audience. This could include blog posts, infographics, videos and even podcasts. If you can manage to capture the attention of people who are searching for businesses nearby, you’re likely to see an increase in sales.
Putting These Local SEO Statistics Into Action
The numbers don’t lie – having a local SEO strategy in place is critical in 2022 and beyond, and these local SEO statistics prove exactly why. So where do you go from here? You take this information and put it into action.
Not sure how to get started? That’s where we come in. Our team of digital marketing experts specializes in local SEO strategies that drive traffic on the web and at your storefront. It only takes one click to turn these local SEO statistics into your custom local SEO strategy – contact us to get started.
