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The Local search results continue to evolve, especially now that mobile has surpassed desktop in terms of percentage of search (60%). If you don't want to be left behind, you need to stay up to date with the changing climate of local searches, and local SEO stats. At THAT Agency, we’re prepared to help your business expand and thrive in the ever-changing vertical of local online searches.

1) Approximately 78% of mobile local searches prompt an offline purchase

But that's not all. 28% of all local Google Searches lead directly to a purchase.
In order to ensure that you’re ranking for your local search terms, first and foremost: get your Google My Business page up and verified. Make sure that your NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) is consistent across all channels and verticals. If they aren't consistent and apparent on your website, review sites, local listings/directories, and social media networks, then fix that now. Of course, you will also want to be optimizing your backend SEO with your local geographic keywords (such as URLs, H1 tags, Meta Data, and Content). Lastly, you’ll also want to ensure you’re using some local business schema markup so that Google can better identify your location. If you're doing your own, but aren't a schema master, then use what we use: this Schema Generator.

2) 18% of Local Searches (via Mobile) Lead to a Sale within 1 Day

In addition to the stats above, Google also found that 18% of local searches actually lead to a sale within one day. This is an interesting figure because we would typically look at the mobile searches for store visits, directions, or some form of contact; however, we’re also seeing that nearly 20% are also likely to make a purchase within 24 hours. In fact, mobile devices have been noted as having the highest conversion rate, among all other devices. In addition, of the consumers that were visiting storefronts, a little more than a tenth of their time spent physically in-store was spent doing price comparison shopping online.

3) 88% of Shoppers Trust Online Reviews

It should be no surprise to any of our clients that online reviews are an extremely essential part of their digital marketing. Reviews do not just affect your company’s reputation, they can also directly affect your search engine optimization efforts, as well as social media, of course. Not only do nearly 90% of all online consumers trust online reviews as much as any personal recommendation, but Google is also using these reviews in determining where you are to rank in your local rankings. That’s why it’s extremely important that you’re listed, and actively accumulating reviews on all of the main Online Review sites. Have a call-to-action, asking for reviews, for each customer/client after every purchase/renewal. 

BONUS - Half of Mobile Users Prefer the Mobile Site vs. an App

This stat struck us as interesting because there has been so much of a big push for app creation in recent years, yet research shows that 50% of all mobile users would actually prefer staying on a mobile browser rather than leaving the site and moving over to an app. Or having to download yet another app in the first place. In some ways, this isn’t such a surprise, seeing as users are usually more familiar with the setup of the actual site, whereas apps are often far more segmented. Meaning that, if you’re not previously familiar with it, it might be harder for you to navigate.

Whether it’s preparing your site for local foot traffic, playing catch up after Google’s Algorithm updates, or just needing some assistance in implementing some of the best practices to ensure you’re showing up for local searches, THAT Agency’s SEO team can help! Contact the leading search engine optimization experts in West Palm Beach today for your free audit.