Business Buzz: New Study Reveals Local, Mobile Search Favors Restaurants and Auto Service/Dealers
Last year I reported on key search and social media marketing trends from the annual SESNY conference in New York City where mobile marketing and social media’s influence on search were prominent themes. At this year’s show, mobile continues to wave its magic wand filled with fantastic promises of improved consumer reach, interaction and access – perhaps at ones most vulnerable in-store moment.
Local and mobile search go hand-in-hand and for small local businesses, there’s a growing imperative to get on board with the basics, so you’re not playing hide and seek with prospects. Among the more informative sessions at this year’s conference was “Local Search: Best Practices & The 6th Annual Local Search Study Results” led by Gregg Stewart, president, 15Miles/Geary LSF and Brian Wool, vice president, Neustar Localeze. The results of the annual study, administered by comScore, surfaced top trends in local search for 2013, including:
- Total US searches on the PC dropped 6 percent year-over-year to 26.7 billion in November 2012
- Total US searchers on mobile devices grew by 25 percent from March to November in 2012
- Restaurants are the most common local search category with 23 percent saying that their last local business search was for a restaurant
- Local business searchers looking for pharmacies, doctors, or financial services are more likely to have a specific business in mind while conducting their search
- PC/Laptops are primarily used in the beginning stages of a local business search. In comparison, mobile phones and tablets are more likely to be used in the middle or at the end of the process.
Prior to SESNY, I caught up with Stewart of the Connecticut-based local search marketing firm, 15Miles. Since many local Westchester and Putnam county businesses remain puzzled by search engine optimization and mobile, in general, and which tactics are most important for an effective local search engine optimization strategy, I asked Stewart to weigh in on how small local businesses should approach SEO and mobile.
“Small local businesses should first concentrate on content surrounding their desired keywords, but with a local focus. Instead of trying to gain position against a popular “head term” like “plumbing fixtures”; geo modify the term so that you compound your local geo into the term, “Plumbing fixtures Danbury, CT”. The proper pursuit is website content against the desired terms and links from related sites back into the business’s web site from manufacturers, local content sources, directories, etc.,” said Stewart.
When it comes to mobile marketing, Stewart strongly advises SMBs to ensure their site is responsive or mobile browser friendly. “If not at least create a group of landing pages for your mobile activities. Next, ensure that any Google PPC programs are optimized for mobile. Thirdly, make sure that your Google Maps and Google+ pages are optimized. And finally, consider mobile display and ads embedded in mobile apps to drive awareness and linkage to your mobile lead gen programs,” adds Stewart.
For more information on the Local Search Study, visit LocalSearchStudy.com.
Lisa Kaslyn is the president of Prosper Communications, specialists in Search Optimized Communications, Public Relations and Web Content Development. Kaslyn hosts free monthly Google+ Hangouts on various marketing, SEO, communications and web development topics relevant to small businesses. Contact her to sign up, lisa@prospercomm.com.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
