You know local SEO is important if you want your business to be visible online to local customers, but do you know just how important? We could write dozens of articles all about the benefits of local SEO and how it can help your business (and we have), but sometimes numbers speak louder than words. That’s why we’ve put together a list of 25 local SEO statistics that show just how important local SEO is for small businesses, no matter what industry you’re in.
General Local SEO Stats
46% of all searches are location-based.
Why This Matters: If you want your business to be found online, local SEO should be a priority, plain and simple. Nearly half of all searches have local intent, meaning people are looking for businesses nearby. If you aren’t optimizing for a local SEO strategy, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to attract, convert and connect to potential clients and customers in your own backyard.
33% of people use the internet to search for local businesses every day.
Why This Matters: From searching for a new dentist nearby to checking the hours of operation for the ice cream shop in town, local searches are part of our everyday life. And as local search usage continues to grow, it’s more important than ever for businesses to make sure they’re visible in local search results. Simply having a storefront or website isn’t enough – you need to be actively working to ensure these searchers can find you online when they’re looking for local businesses like yours.
76% of people use voice search to find local businesses at least once a week.
Why This Matters: Voice search is one of the most rapidly growing trends in local SEO right now. And with good reason – it’s incredibly convenient, quick and easy to use, especially when you’re on the go. If you want your business to be found in mobile local searches, you need to make sure you’re optimized for voice search. Use long-tail keywords in your local SEO efforts to mimic natural speech patterns, like “What time does the ice cream shop close?” instead of “ice cream shop closing time”.
97% of people who search the internet are looking for local businesses.
Why This Matters: This statistic is a powerful reminder that a local SEO strategy should be a priority for any business that wants to be found online. Nearly every single person who uses the internet as a means of finding information has searched for a local business at least once. This illustrates just how crucial it is that your business is visible in local search results. Simply having a storefront and a website isn’t enough when the vast majority of your potential clients and customers will discover you for the first time via local search.
Mobile Local SEO Stats
78% of mobile local searches lead to an offline purchase.
Why This Matters: With more and more people using their mobile devices to search for local businesses, it’s no surprise that these searches often lead to offline purchases. This statistic underscores the importance of local SEO for businesses that want to drive foot traffic and increase sales. Make sure your business is visible in local search results on mobile devices, and make it easy for potential customers to find your address, hours of operation and contact information.
More than 50% of consumers have used a mobile device to research a product while in-store.
Why This Matters: This statistic should come as no surprise – mobile devices make it easy to quickly compare prices, read reviews and find product information while we’re out and about. If you want your local business to be found by mobile searchers, make sure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for local searches. Use responsive design, local schema markup and click-to-call buttons to make it easy for potential customers to find the information they need about your business no matter where they are.
Mobile search results have an 85% higher click-through rate than desktop results.
Why This Matters: This local SEO stat is a reminder that local searchers are often looking for quick, easy answers to their questions – and they’re more likely to find these answers on mobile devices than on desktop computers. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your local SEO strategy is focused on mobile optimization. Consumers that are searching on a desktop device are often passively browsing for information, while consumers that are making mobile searches are more likely to take action in that moment or shortly after.
18% of mobile local searches result in a sale within one day.
Why This Matters: Like we stated previously, consumers making mobile searches are often ready to buy – and they’re ready to buy fast. If you want to drive sales, you need to make sure your business is not only visible in search results, but optimized to drive users down the sales funnel seamlessly. Make it easy for your customers to make that quick purchase by providing clear calls to action, local product and pricing information, and an easy-to-navigate mobile user interface (UI).
61% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a local business if they have a mobile-friendly website.
Why This Matters: Creating a mobile-friendly website should be a top priority for any business that wants to increase local sales. Your brick-and-mortar location might drive the majority of your sales, but potential customers are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to conduct product research before making a purchase. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be driving away both web traffic and foot traffic to your physical location.
Consumer Behavior Local SEO Stats
61% of consumers prefer local businesses with a physical storefront and online shop.
Why This Matters: That little “and” can make a big difference in your local search strategy. Consumers seek out businesses that are both local AND accessible online. Make sure your local business is visible in local search results by claiming your Google My Business listing, optimizing your website for local keywords, and building local citations. Then, drive traffic to your website with a strong local SEO strategy that focuses on both online and offline marketing tactics. Attract these customers online, and they’ll be more likely to seek out your brick-and-mortar location the next time they’re in the market for products or services like yours.
87% of users read online reviews for local businesses.
Why This Matters: Positive reviews are local SEO gold. Consumers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations, so it’s important to make sure your local business is generating a steady stream of positive reviews from happy customers. Claim your business listings on local directories and review sites, and actively encourage customers to leave feedback about their experience with your business. Responding to both positive and negative reviews in a professional manner will show potential customers that you’re active and engaged with your local community – something that’s increasingly important in the local SEO landscape.
73% of people only pay attention to reviews written in the last month.
Why This Matters: Just because you have a five-star rating doesn’t mean your local SEO is set on autopilot. You need to actively manage your online reputation to ensure that you’re generating fresh, positive reviews on a regular basis. It makes sense – consumers want to know the current state of the local businesses they are considering patronizing. If the last review on your Google My Business listing is from six months ago, it might give potential customers pause – are you still providing the same high level of service, or still in business at all?
48% of consumers would consider using a business with fewer than 4 stars.
Why This Matters: If your overall review score is 3.9, you could be missing out on more than half of your potential customers. That’s why it’s so important to actively manage your local SEO and online reputation. Responding to negative reviews, addressing customer concerns, and actively encouraging positive feedback can help improve your local SEO and increase sales. Politely responding to a negative review and asking if there is any way to make the customer’s experience better can turn a one-time customer into a lifelong fan – and encourage them to leave an updated positive review the process.
72% of consumers who conduct a “near me” search will visit a business within 5 miles of their location.
Why This Matters: “Near me” searches are on the rise now more than ever, as consumers use their mobile devices to find local businesses while they’re on the go. If your business doesn’t show up in local mobile searches when potential customers are searching for products or services like yours, you could be missing out on a lot of foot traffic and sales. Optimizing your website for local keywords, claiming your business listings on local directories and review sites, and building local citations can help improve your visibility in local search results and attract more customers to your business’s physical location.
28% of “nearby” searches result in a purchase.
Why This Matters: “Nearby” searches are often the beginning of the buyer’s journey, as potential customers use their mobile devices to find local businesses that offer the products or services they’re interested in. If your business doesn’t show up in local searches, you could be missing out on more than a quarter of your potential sales. If increasing your revenue is a crucial part of your local SEO strategy – which it should be – then you need to make sure your business is visible in local search results. Ensure that your website is optimized to appear in these “nearby” searches by targeting the right keywords, establishing a presence on online local business directories and ensuring your product and service listings are up-to-date.
Google Local SEO Stats
36% of businesses said their #1 local search ranking factor was their Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business).
Why This Matters: If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile yet, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to bolster your local SEO strategy. Your Google Business Profile is essentially your business’s listing on Google, and it’s what potential customers will see when they search for your business on Google Maps or in local search results. By filling out your profile completely and ensuring that all the information is up-to-date, you can improve your local search ranking and visibility, make it easier for potential customers to find your local business.
60% of smartphone users prefer to reach out to local businesses directly through Google, such as a “click to call” option.
Why This Matters: Mobile users are increasingly using their devices to search for local businesses – and they want to be able to contact these businesses directly from the search engines they use to find them. Google provides businesses with a “click to call” option that allows mobile users to call businesses directly from the local search results. If you haven’t claimed your business listing on Google yet, be sure to do so and enable the “click to call” option to make it easier for mobile users to get in touch with your business.
35% of product searches start on Google, while 46% start on Amazon.
Why This Matters: If you’re selling products, local SEO should be a key part of your ecommerce marketing strategy. While Google is still the most popular search engine for product searches, Amazon is quickly catching up. Make sure your product listings are optimized for both search engines to ensure maximum visibility if you are selling products that are available on both Amazon and Google.
The three most common places users search for information on the web are Google (89%), Facebook (48%) and Yelp (32%).
Why This Matters: If you want to ensure that your business is visible to potential customers, you need to have a presence on the most popular search engines and local business directories. Google is still the most popular search engine, and it makes sense that the bulk of your local SEO efforts would be focused on ranking highly in Google local search results. However, don’t forget about the other popular search engines and other platforms with search functionality, like Facebook and Yelp. The key is to know where your customers are searching for local businesses, then tailor your local SEO strategy accordingly to meet them where they are.
42% of local searches involve clicks on Google Maps.
Why This Matters: Google Maps is an important part of local SEO, as it allows potential customers to see your business location and get directions to your store or office. Think about it – how many times have you used Google Maps to find a restaurant, hair salon or coffee shop nearby? If you want to make it easy for potential customers to find your business, you need to ensure that your business is properly listed on Google Maps. You can do this by claiming your business listing on Google and providing accurate information about your business, such as your address, hours of operation contact information and interior and exterior photos.
15% of the local SEO 3-pack rank is comprised of review signals.
Why This Matters: If you want a spot in the highly coveted local SEO 3 pack – the top three local business listings that appear on the first page of Google search results – you need to focus on generating reviews. Google looks at your reviews as a sign of your company’s relevancy and trustworthiness, so the more positive reviews you have, the more likely you are to rank highly in search results. Simply having positive reviews isn’t enough for Google, either – they want to see a lot of them. A company with two 5-star reviews doesn’t paint as complete of a picture as a company with 100 4.5-star reviews, so focus on generating as many reviews as possible from your happy customers.
Even More Local SEO Stats
30% of businesses have a plan in place to capitalize on local search traffic and turn it into conversions.
Why This Matters: This means 70% of businesses are missing out on a huge opportunity to increase their local search traffic and boost their bottom line. This gives you a massive competitive edge if you have a local SEO plan in place. If you aren’t part of this 30% already, there’s no better time to start creating a local SEO strategy than right now.
Only about 64% of small local businesses have an online presence.
Why This Matters: Relying on word-of-mouth foot traffic might have been enough to sustain a local business in the past, but in today’s digital world, an online presence is essential. If potential customers can’t find your business online, they’re likely to take their business elsewhere. A smart and savvy local SEO strategy might be a time and financial investment initially, but it’s worth it in the long run to ensure that your local business can be found online.
40% of small businesses outsource some if not all of their local SEO efforts.
Why This Matters: Outsourcing local SEO can be a smart move for small businesses, as it allows you to focus on what you do best – running your business. Delegating local SEO tasks to a team of experts can help you save time and money in the long run, as they will be able to implement a local SEO strategy more effectively and efficiently. Be sure to seek out a local SEO agency that understands your goals and vision so they can implement a customized local SEO plan that meets the needs of your business and the customers you serve.
Turn These Local SEO Stats into a Local SEO Success Story
By understanding these local SEO statistics and utilizing them to create a strong local SEO strategy, you can give your business the boost it needs to succeed in a highly competitive digital landscape. If you don’t have a local SEO plan in place already, now is the time to start developing one. And if you’re already utilizing local SEO to drive traffic to your website, use these stats as motivation to continue and improve your efforts. With a little time, effort, and the help of a local SEO agency, you can turn these local SEO stats into a local SEO success story for your business.
Not sure where to go from here? You’re in the right place. Level Up Local’s team of local SEO experts can help you develop and implement a local SEO plan customized for your business. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you take your local SEO efforts to the next level.
