Here’s an eye-popping stat: since 2011, Google searches including the phrase “near me” have increased 34 times. Not 34 percent, but 34 times. I read this figure as a nail in the coffin of distinct and discrete mobile and local strategies. Put another way, your brand has a mobile and a local strategy whether you’ve planned it or not. Brands need to prepare for the inevitable “gotta have it now” factor across channels.
Some other tasty stats from the article:
- 50% of people who conduct a local search on their phone visit a store that day
- Roughly a third of those searchers buy that day as well
- About half of people searching for a restaurant do so within 30 minutes of going out
Searches differ by day and time of day as well:
I wonder, do people search for liquor stores before or after hotels on a Saturday night?
What does this mean for marketers?