How local search optimization boosts business in small communities
The rise of on-the-go information gathering
The way we gather information has changed forever. Search providers such as Google are the world’s biggest library, and when people need to know the answer to a question, they’re asking online. Maybe you need to remember the name of the actor you recognized on the latest episode of Game of Thrones or you’re interested in what people think about the new pub that opened downtown. Google even provides the answer to life, the universe, and everything—it’s 42, in case you’re interested.
Because of this revolution of information gathering, Google has catered their software to complement moments in life. Google calls these “I-want-to-go moments” because mobile search trends have shown a significant increase in location-based searches.
From 2011 to 2015, searches for products or services “near me” increased 34 times, and doubled from 2014 to 2015. Increased mobile speeds and larger network coverage have made it easy to gather information on the go, and this provides an enormous amount of value to business owners and customers alike.
Google trends show that 50 per cent of users that complete a local search will visit the location they gather information on within one day, and 18 per cent of users searching locally will complete a purchase within 24 hours. Today’s consumers don’t have to think far in advance about their purchases because they have all of the answers instantly, which means by creating an easy-to-find online presence, you’re increasing the opportunities for new audiences to find your business.
Get discovered by real customers in your area
For business owners in small communities, solutions such as Local Search Optimization (LSO) offer an enormous amount of opportunities to grow their existing business. Let’s say you’re operating a business in a community of 1,500 people, but a major highway passes through main street. In the old days, everybody knew Joe’s Fish Shack was three doors down from Town Hall, and you had to pass through Rick’s Insurance Agency to get in. But what if somebody new to the community or a family passing through on vacation wants to stop for lunch?
When vacationers or truck drivers approach the city limits, they might see your business as a list of available services. But they probably have no idea where Town Hall or Rick’s Insurance Agency is, let alone your own business. Services such as LSO use cutting edge technology to show your brand’s information in 15 databases and mapping systems, so customers can easily use GPS to find where you’re located.
What’s even more impressive is these services can be customized to include location-based information in the form of snippets or descriptions, or showcase pictures of the front of Rick’s agency, so people know they have to travel through another location to find you.
Our LSO service even includes communicating details back to Tom Tom or other GPS leaders, so your business appears on the list of services in Lexus or Ford’s built-in GPS systems—imagine hearing your new car talking about your business!
This is just one of the many possibilities of Local Search Optimization. Contact us today to find out what LSO can do your for your business today.
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