Looking at the top 142 categories consumers searched for in the past week and the media they used to conduct the search, LSA’s latest Local Media Tracking Study conducted with Burke found that, as expected, media performance varied by category. Overall, search engines dominated and restaurants were the most sought after category.
This isn’t to say that social media, for example, isn’t a viable outlet for marketing because it didn’t perform as well as search engines in this study. This simply means that consumers seeking information with a specific intent, turn to search engines most often. The fact that in some categories social media saw numbers around 20% is compelling nonetheless.
Fragmented consumer media consumption both online and offline has led to a tremendous need for marketers to “personalize” marketing plans for their clients. As the number of media outlets used by consumers increases, marketers have needed to prioritize the venues that attract a client’s specific audience.
The infographic below is a great resource to help understand where consumers go to search for local business information. Given that the data looks at searches in the past week, the chart gives a good sense of searches that are conducted with regularity, and this may serve as a tool to help personalize a client’s marketing strategy.
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11 Responses
Wow! This is great data. Interesting to see the amount each was searched…few surprises in there. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome stuff – but where’s the info that explains what we’re seeing in each column? For instance, base searches, PYP, IYP. I get all the rest. Thanks!
Print yellow pages, internet yellow pages . . . total searches/lookups observed in the category is “base searches.”
That looks to be really valuable information. Although the study is US based I suspect the percentages would be somewhat similar here in the UK. If a business is following local marketing 101 then they should fare well – strong search strategy + social media & reputation management.
Interesting information but one thing about local search is that it is local. I can tell you that the Seattle market is radically different than your numbers. I wonder if you did a big enough sample to be able to look at it market by market.
Nonetheless, very interesting. Thanks for sharing it.
Mark Waldin
http://www.ourinsideedge.com
Here’s the general methodology behind the study: more than 8,000 individual online and telephone interviews in a 12-month period.
Great info and write up Joe. Still goes to show that SEO is still crucial to any businesses digital marketing strategy in conjunction with some social media.
Brad
http://www.operationtechnology.com
Hello – I also find the study interesting but am a little confused by the methodology. You say that over 8,000 respondents were surveyed in a 12 month period, but the article speaks of searches done in the past week. Which week are you referring to?
Data are collected on an ongoing basis all year. That’s the total sample size. These particular data are from the designated time period.
Nice article Joe. The infographic makes it easier to understand where the consumer is going to search for local business info and where to invest some marketing spend.
Hi! Thank you very much for sharing this table. Very useful information for anyone (like me) involved in local seo. Restaurants rules 🙂