2006 Local Search Engine Statistics:
* 20 billion searches for local information were made in 2006.
* 70% of Canadian households do some kind of search for a local service or product on a monthly basis.
* 75% of Internet users have looked for services and products within an area close to their home or business.
* 55% of all Internet search engine searches are for local products and services.
Fast forward to the present (2010):
The growth of local search is simply staggering! Internet users are now far more likely to search for the products and services that they need via a desktop computer connected to the Internet or a SmartPhone device (unprecedented growth) rather than services like the traditional Yellow Pages. It’s safe to say that Local Business Online Search by internet users has absolutely exploded in popularity in the last few years and the trend going to continue as consumers embrace ever more powerful internet enabled devices.
Any business who is not taking online search seriously is going to face serious challenges going forward (they may have been seriously hurt already and not even know why). It used to be that many local businesses felt that they weren’t “big enough” to worry about Search Engine Optimization or Search Engine Marketing, but not doing so now will almost certainly put any business that ignores the new marketing environment at a severe dissadvantage as competitors sieze the opportunity and get their message in front of those who are seeking their goods and services at exactly the right time (when they are actively looking).
Consider the following survey:
The takeaway from the above is obviously how important some kind of online presence is to savvy small businesses. Simply having a website is not enough. Businesses need to actively promote their online presence or become lost among billions of unseen web pages.
In addition, a new wave of change is coming. The day of the internet connected phone is upon us. In the months and years to come, more and more people will switch from desktop computers to smartphones as their primary means of internet conectivity. This will have a profound impact on those businesses that are “mobile ready” and those that are not.
In short, mobile search is taking off right now!
Is your business prepared? Pretend you’re a customer looking for what you offer and do a search (not for your business name, but for what you offer) on a desktop computer browser or mobile device. Is your business among the first listed? If not, we can help change that for you. In fact, we can work with you to improve your online business efforts in multiple ways, from highly targeted traffic generation to increased interaction with your website and ultimately the acquisition of more customers.
