‘Local business search’ has become a sure shot way to get in touch with and find, ready to buy consumers. With the exceeding popularity of local search portals and IYPs (internet yellow pages) alike, it’s clearly seen that in order to stay in the game you must be visible online.
Local searches are online business directory searches, which are possible through IYP sites like- AOL local, Yellowpages.com etc. However select content is excluded from them, for example:
•Maps
•Driving directions
•White pages listings (people searches) etc.
Basically, any web search which includes local listing identifiers is marked as a local search.
The best thing about online these type of sites is that, it provides consumers with a compilation of numbers and addresses (much like,well-known ‘Yellow pages’) at the click of a button. Some of these sites provide reviews and feedback to read and even enable the consumer to carry out his/her transactions through them. These sites enable users to change the parameters of their search, according to their preference.
The ‘state of local search’ study conducted by ComScore and released by The Local Search Association showed that general web searches increased by 16% between 2009 and 2010. Where local ones contributed a whopping 13% of core web searches on the top five portals, such as- Google, Bing, AOL, Yahoo and ASK. General web searches continued to increase and surpassed 18.5 billion in January 2011, but it isn’t going to stop at that. The number is only going to increase.
In the study 58% of the users who chose IYP sites first, did so due to brand recognition. Out of which nearly 30% chose these sites because of their reputation in providing accurate and exact results in terms of local searches. On the other hand, portal searchers were more likely to conduct searches as a part of ‘broad information gathering’.
Despite the differences in frequency and site preference, more than half of the local business searchers were highly satisfied, content and successful in their search experience. Convenience, trust and brand are important in drawing in local searchers. It is a fact that, local searchers test and try multiple options before selecting their final provider. Therefore it is important to offer all three, of the above mentioned elements.
The ‘virtual world’ is constantly evolving; becoming, bigger, better and more competent. Hence local search portals are constantly expanding giving businesses (big or small) a one way ticket to the top. Local business search is rapidly taking the world over, making life simple and easy.