With the continued expansion and focus on local search by Google, Yahoo, and Bing, businesses now have a powerful tool to attract customers to either their website or physical location. The development of local search is now enabling companies to focus on search engine optimization for geographically targeted markets which has proven to be both affordable and effective in terms of generating visits and sales.
As San Jose SEO Company summary of recent statistics indicates, searches focused on local businesses result in high percentages of purchases either online or at the physical location. These developments present a huge opportunity for small businesses to target their reach into local and regional markets without the cost and time investment required to compete on a national basis. The following is a summary of statistics which clearly show the power of local search:
- According to the NPD Group, a provider of consumer and retail market research, 97% of internet users in the U.S. use the internet to research products they intend to buy as well as to shop for them. Over fifty percent of this group did their research online and then made their purchase at a physical location.
- According to research by TMP/comScore, providers of local search data, more than four out of five consumers that searched locally followed the online search with either a visit to the store, a phone call, or a purchase.
- The Kelsey Group found that 74% of people who use the internet also search locally for stores, products, and services.
- According to Google, 73% of all online activity is related to local content.
- TMP/comScore found that 61% of local searches ultimately end in purchases.
The sum of these statistics reveals that consumers searching for local businesses are shifting toward the internet and away from traditional methods such advertising and the Yellow Pages. The availability of local search tools combined with lighter competition in geographically targeted SEO campaigns provides the opportunity for local businesses to raise their profile in a very cost effective manner. The last statistic on the list sums up the power of local search. A conversion rate of 61% is both stunning and a number that cannot be ignored.
San Jose SEO Company delivers customized and cost effective SEO solutions to businesses intending on extending their reach into local, national, and/or global markets.