If you are a business entrepreneur (small or medium scale) with an online presence then you must be aware of the fact that how important it is to rank ahead of your competitors especially with the new curtailed 3 pack local search display. Read more about it here. This becomes all the more important, since most of the transactions (from shopping to traveling) are done via smart-phones on the go. So, if you are missing out, it really is a cause of concern pertaining to the success of your business.

In that context, it should become one of your top business priorities to feature in the local search results. Listed below are some of the stats that provide you with the power of six to help you get ahead of your local competitors.

1. HALF OF THE SEARCHERS VISIT THE STORE WITHIN A DAY OR TWO

Ranking in the local search has a direct impact on the in-store footfalls. This was revealed according to the Google’s research into the local search consumer behavior. The research further confirms the fact that such consumers are bound to take action in a day or two. Further the findings revealed that around 50% of the searchers, who participated in the research, visited the local shop within a day of googling the information as compared to the 34% who carried out the search on their desktop/tablet.

So if you missing out from that count then try the tips below:

• Register your business with complete profile on Google My Business
• Use consistent NAP citations across all channels (including your website, social channels, review websites and directory listings)
• Use Local Business Schema Markup to share your location with Google.
• Use appropriate local keywords in your URL’s, Title Tags, Heading Tags and most importantly the Content.

2. MORE THAN HALF OF THE SEARCHERS USE LOCAL AD INFO

According to a research, Google found that more than 60% of the consumers prefer to act on the information being served up in the local ads. The stats showed that:

• Around 67% smart phone users want customized ads with city and zip code compared to 61% users wanting location based customized ads.
• Around 61% use Address and Phone Number in ads.
• Around 68% users look for “Get Direction” or “Call” buttons.
• Always ensure that ads targeting your local customer are served with location and their extensions. After registering with Google MY BUSINESS, organize your corresponding address in such a way that you want it to appear in Google AdWords.

3. NEARLY 90% OF THE SEARCHERS TRUST ONLINE BUSINESS REVIEWS

According to a local survey conducted on consumer behavior, there is marked positive influence in the consumer behavior, after going through online business reviews related to their product and services. This suggests that increasing number of consumers are searching Google and other referral sites, before making any purchase. Not only that, negative reviews almost ensure they will never buy from you. Buying positive reviews is illegal according to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Some of the top reviewing sites are listed as below:

• Yelp
• Local Google Search results
• TripAdvisor
• Angie’s list
• Urban Spoon
• Yahoo Local search

For proper online listing of your business, simply search your business name as well as the related keywords that your prospective customers might be searching. Look which review sites are listed prominently on these searches and get started. If you are looking to get more positive reviews and filter negative reviews for your business, just ask for a demo of our Review Widget.

4. BUSINESS ADDRESS / LOCATION PRIMARILY BEING SEARCHED

According to some popular research survey, Business Address and Location are the two most sought after local search information. So, it’s important that your NAP citations must include key contact and location info on your web-page and social media profiles. Besides that, the other locally searched business info can be listed as below:

• Category
• Phone Number
• Products and Services
• Visiting Hours
• Driving Directions
• Special Offers and Coupons
• Reviews and Ratings

So, it’s important that you keep it simple, when providing the NAP citation alongside some additional content links if needed.

5. NEARLY 18% OF SEARCHERS GET CONVERTED WITHIN A DAY

Google, on the basis of its research, found that the local mobile searchers are most likely to get converted into sales. Also, one out of three searchers are most likely to visit the store and 15% searches are related to product or price comparison. In short, most of these local searchers become the ready to buy customers provided they get the desired information about your business backed by positive reviews from trusted sources.

6. HALF OF THE SEARCHERS PREFER MOBILE BROWSING

A popular research on mobile users revealed that around 50% of the smart phone users prefer browser for internet searching instead of mobile maps (40%) and mobile App (10%). So, if your site is still not mobile friendly then you will not only notice a significant drop in your ranking but also in process loose a large chunk of the local (ready to buy) smart-phone searchers. Again if you need any help with mobile website design, development or maintenance, we have some good options.

Last but not the least –

Ranking ahead of your competitors in local searches is of paramount importance for any business venture more so after the local search display got slimmer from 7 pack to 3 pack, which makes a cut throat competition in this segment and if you are still searching for solutions then get in touch with us via call at 888-545-0616 (Toll Free) or email sales@ebrandz.com.