If you own or run a local business, doubtless you will have heard arguments for and against instigating a local SEO campaign. Those against tend to be those who have tried to make local SEO work in the past and failed. The reason they failed with local SEO is normally for one of two main reasons.
The first is they tried to do all the SEO work themselves and became overwhelmed, if not confused, with what they were meant to do to improve their website’s rankings. The second is they tried to do it on the cheap and thus did not employ a professional SEO agency, but instead a keen amateur freelancer, for example.
For those that argue for local SEO, it is more than likely that they did hire an SEO agency whose experts have been able to get that business’s website to the first page of Google, and possibly into one of the top three positions on page #1. As well as the real experiences of businesses seeing their website rankings improve through local SEO, there are lots of other statistics and data that show local SEO works and is essential for local businesses with websites. Here are fifteen of them.
#1 – The percentage of all searches on Google with local intent is 46% meaning almost half of all searches are for local information or businesses.
#2 – Almost all (97% to be precise) of all the information which people discover about local businesses comes from their online research.
#3 – Nearly 90% of all searches concerning a local business conducted on mobile devices result in a call or visit to that business within 24 hours.
#4 – Three-quarters of local searches result in visits to a business within five miles of the person searching’s location.
#5 – Of those who search online for a local product or service via their mobile device, around 80% confirm they have made a purchase.
#6 – First page rankings are essential because 75% of those searching admit they do not look or click beyond page one of the local search results.
#7 – The use of Google Maps is now so widespread that 86% of consumers say they use it to locate a business that is local to them.
#8 – 18% of mobile searches locally result in a purchase within 24 hours. Only 7% of non-local searches result in a purchase within 24 hours.
#9 – The increase in local consumers adding “near me” or “close by” to their online searches is a staggering 900% in just the past two years.
#10 – Surveys and feedback indicate that 97% of all those who have used a search engine have looked for a local business at least once.
#11 – When a local search takes place for a product or service, it results in a purchase 28% of the time.
#12 – 78% of online local searches lead to the consumer calling or visiting a local business’s premises.
#13 – Over 60% of consumers say they will not consider purchasing from a local business that has little or no online presence.
#14 – On average, a local business will see a positive ROI for local SEO within just 4 to 5 months.
#15 – 92% of those searching online for a local business say they will only ever choose one which is ranked on page #1 of the local search results