It’s hard to believe another year is coming to an end. So, what have we learned this year? I’ve put together a top 10 list of local search insights that hopefully will help you reflect on this past year and make some adjustments for next year.
Some insights are eye-opening like the fact that every year since 2013 mobile websites have gotten slower as a result of greater use of video and graphic content. Even slowdowns in loading time of as little as 1 second have a marked impact on page views, bounce rate and conversion rate.
Other insights may seem fairly obvious but demand adjustments to the way media is managed. For example, as third-party listings provide richer and more complete information, consumers increasingly use third-party listings as their primary source of information about a local business. Fewer consumers are clicking through to company websites making these listings the primary, public-facing online identity of the business.
Here are the headings for the complete top 10 list:
- Sometimes simple is better than the best.
- Mobile websites are getting slower from heavy content.
- Changes in the traditional search model will challenge the status quo.
- Third-party listings are becoming de facto home pages.
- Traditional media is still relevant in the digital age.
- Non-local consumers are very valuable to local search.
- Your largest clients may be at risk from co-op competitors.
- Short and fractured attention spans demand changes to the way we serve content.
- Offline shopping experiences that don’t match your online one are problematic.
- Reviews reflect your online reputation, whether you like it or not.
Proceed to my article on Search Engine Land for valuable statistics, a full discussion on each insight and some suggestions on how to put these insights to work for you.
