Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
46% of all Google searches have local intent
97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else
92% of searchers will pick a business on the first page of local search results
34% of consumers read fewer than 4 reviews before forming an opinion
Digital displays of reviews can increase conversion rates by 270%
89% of consumers are highly likely to use a business that responds to all of its online reviews
56% of local retailers have not claimed their Google Business Profile listing
Businesses that add photos to their Business Profiles receive 42% more requests for directions
The average Google Business Profile is viewed 1,260 times per month
Proximity of address to the point of search is the #1 local ranking factor
58% of consumers try to find a local business using voice search
20% of mobile queries on Google are voice searches
28% of local searches result in a purchase
78% of location-based mobile searches result in an offline purchase
18% of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day
Consumer Behavior
- 146% of all Google searches have local intent
- 297% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else
- 392% of searchers will pick a business on the first page of local search results
- 4"Near me" or "buy" searches have grown by over 500% in recent years
- 572% of computer or tablet users want location-customized ads
- 658% of people engage with local businesses nearby at least once a week
- 776% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit a business within a day
- 84 out of 5 consumers use search engines to find local information
- 9Mobile searches for "open" + "now" + "near me" have grown by 200%
- 1086% of people look up the location of a business on Google Maps
- 1154% of smartphone users search for business hours
- 1230% of all mobile searches are related to location
- 1350% of consumers visit a store within a day of their local search on a smartphone
- 14Over 1 billion people use Google Maps every month
- 1583% of US shoppers who visited a store in the last week used online search before going
- 1627% of people use Apple Maps to search for local businesses
- 1761% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site
- 1878% of people use the internet to find information about local businesses more than once a week
- 1966% of Americans believe that finding a local business on an app is easier than voice search
- 2060% of American adults use smartphones and tablets to search for local product and service information
- 2198% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
Interpretation
Treat local search like your storefront’s front door: with nearly half of Google searches having local intent, "near me" and buy queries up over 500%, billions using maps, most people checking reviews, hours and first-page results, and many mobile searchers visiting within a day, being invisible online is the new "closed" sign.
Conversion & ROI
- 128% of local searches result in a purchase
- 278% of location-based mobile searches result in an offline purchase
- 318% of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day
- 4The #1 spot in organic search results gets an average click-through rate of 31.7%
- 560% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results (e.g. click to call)
- 6Local searches lead to a 107% increase in conversion after an in-store visit compared to non-local searches
- 788% of consumers who search for a type of local business on a mobile device call or go to that business within 24 hours
- 880% of local searches convert
- 9A customized landing page for a local campaign can increase conversions by 20%
- 1072% of consumers say that their primary method of contacting a business is the phone used from a local search
- 11Leads from search engines have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads (like cold calls) have a 1.7% close rate
- 1275% of users never scroll past the first page of search results reducing conversion opportunities for lower ranks
- 13Mobile offers are redeemed 10x more frequently than print offers
- 1457% of local search queries are submitted from a mobile device or tablet
- 1532% of consumers are more likely to visit a store on the same day if they find a discount online
- 16Direction requests from local search have a 40% intent-to-buy correlation
- 17Businesses that reply to reviews see a conversion rate increase of roughly 30% compared to those that don't
- 18Clicks on "Get Directions" increased by 20% year-over-year for local businesses
- 1966% of calls to local businesses from search last over 3 minutes indicating high intent
- 20Website clicks from Google Business Profiles grew 29% year-over-year showing higher ROI for optimized listings
Interpretation
Consider local search your best closer: with 57% of local queries coming from mobile devices, the number one organic spot grabbing about 31.7% of clicks, location-based mobile searches sending 78% of people to offline purchases and 18% converting within a day, leads from search closing at 14.6% versus 1.7% for outbound, mobile offers redeemed ten times more often, customized landing pages and replying to reviews raising conversions by roughly 20% and 30% respectively, and optimized Google Business Profiles driving double-digit year-over-year gains in clicks, calls and directions, if you are not prioritizing local SEO and mobile-first experiences you are watching customers walk right past your door.
GBP & Maps
- 156% of local retailers have not claimed their Google Business Profile listing
- 2Businesses that add photos to their Business Profiles receive 42% more requests for directions
- 3The average Google Business Profile is viewed 1,260 times per month
- 416% of businesses receive more than 100 calls per month from GBP
- 564% of consumers use Google Business Profiles to find contact details for a local business
- 6Listings with photos receive 35% more click-throughs to their websites
- 749% of businesses receive more than 1,000 views on Search per month
- 80.17% is the average conversion rate for a Google Business Profile post
- 9Complete Google Business Profiles get 7x more clicks than incomplete ones
- 1084% of views on Google Business Profiles come from discovery searches (generic terms) rather than direct searches
- 115% of GBP listing views result in a website click, call, or direction request
- 12Google Maps is the preferred navigation app for 67% of smartphone users
- 1368% of people contact a business directly from the search results page (Zero-Click)
- 14Car dealerships receive the highest number of calls from GBP at 83 per month on average
- 15Hotels have the highest average views on GBP with nearly 13,000 per month
- 1693% of local searches on Google show the Local Pack (Map Pack)
- 1786% of consumers use Google Maps to find the location of a business
- 18Accuracy of GBP operating hours is the #1 deal-breaker for 63% of customers
- 1974% of local businesses have at least one error on their Google Business Profile
- 20Zero-click searches (where the user intent is satisfied on the SERP/Map) rose to 65% in 2020
Interpretation
Ignoring your Google Business Profile is like boarding up your storefront while the city hands out directions and contact details to passersby, because 84% of views come from discovery searches, listings with photos get 42% more direction requests and 35% more website clicks, complete profiles get seven times more clicks, yet 56% of local retailers haven’t even claimed theirs and 74% contain errors, so with zero-click searches surging and an average post conversion of just 0.17% the bottom line is simple: claim, complete and keep your profile accurate or watch customers walk past.
Reviews & Reputation
- 134% of consumers read fewer than 4 reviews before forming an opinion
- 2Digital displays of reviews can increase conversion rates by 270%
- 389% of consumers are highly likely to use a business that responds to all of its online reviews
- 4A rating increase of one star can lead to a 5-9% increase in revenue
- 5Review signals result in 15.44% of local pack ranking factors
- 657% of consumers will only use a business if it has 4 or more stars
- 773% of consumers think that reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant
- 820% of consumers expect to receive a response to their review within one day
- 985% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- 10Users are 50% more likely to click on a Google Maps result if it has a high star rating
- 11Only 48% of consumers would consider using a business with fewer than 4 stars
- 1267% of consumers will not do business with a company if they read a negative review
- 13Responding to reviews generates a 0.28 increase in star rating on average
- 1496% of customers check reviews specifically for medical and healthcare related businesses
- 15Fake reviews are a concern for 54% of consumers
- 16The average local business has 39 Google reviews
- 1762% of consumers say they will write a review if the business asks them to
- 18Businesses with more than 82 total reviews earn 54% more annual revenue than average
- 19Purchase likelihood increases by 15% when consumers read verified reviews over anonymous ones
- 20A business with a 5-star rating captures only 20% of clicks compared to one with 4-4.5 stars which suggests authenticity
Interpretation
Taken together, these numbers show that reviews are the currency of local search: consumers form judgments after only a few, prefer four-plus stars and recent verified feedback, click and convert far more for businesses that prominently display reviews and respond quickly, and will withhold trust, clicks and revenue when reviews are few, old, unverified or ignored.
SEO Strategy & Ranking
- 1Proximity of address to the point of search is the #1 local ranking factor
- 258% of consumers try to find a local business using voice search
- 320% of mobile queries on Google are voice searches
- 4Organic SEO signals (on-page, links) make up 59% of the weighting for Local Organic results
- 561% of marketers prioritize SEO specifically for growing their organic presence
- 6Voice search results load in 4.6 seconds on average, which is 52% faster than the average page
- 7Consistency of Citations (NAP data) accounts for 7% of ranking factors for the Local Pack
- 828% of voice searchers usually call the business they find
- 991% of pages ranking in the top 10 of Google are HTTPS secure
- 10Businesses with inconsistent NAP data across the web rank 20% lower on average
- 1182% of businesses have not claimed their Bing Places listing despite it being a ranking signal
- 12The average word count of a voice search result page is 2,312 words
- 1375% of voice search results rank in the top 3 for that query on desktop
- 14Local content creation is a priority for 45% of local marketers
- 1590% of voice search users search for a local business to make an appointment or visit
- 16Sites that load in 5 seconds generally see 70% longer average session durations than those taking 19 seconds
- 1731% of mobile users wait until they are at the specific location to perform a search
- 18Backlinks account for 31% of the Local Pack/Finder ranking signals
- 1971% of people say they would confirm the location of a business before going to it for the first time
- 20Featured snippets (often used in voice) appear in 12.29% of search queries
Interpretation
Think of local search like an impatient Cupid: it chooses businesses that are physically closest, consistently listed across the web, HTTPS secure, fast loading, and supported by strong on page SEO, long authoritative content and backlinks that win featured snippets and voice results, while too many businesses squander urgent local intent by leaving Bing unclaimed, serving inconsistent NAP data or slow insecure pages even though voice users often call or visit immediately.
