Here is today’s roundup of news related to local marketing and advertising, local media, technology, local commerce, consumer behavior and more.

‘No-Click’ Search Queries Make GMB & Proximity Even More Important (December 18, 2018)
LSA Insider: “The identification of the “no-click” search queries and the frequency with which it is happening is sending waves throughout the SEO community. New data from Rand Fishkin of SparkToro (formerly of Moz) has found that roughly 62% of mobile queries resulted in no click in Q3 2018 and about 33% on desktop. SEO experts were aware of this taking place, but the rate is higher than many anticipated.”

Voice Search Readiness is Not an Option — It’s a Must (December 18, 2018)
LSA Insider: “Voice search readiness is a concept that not many have embraced wholeheartedly yet, but that has to change. I understand that the idea of 50 percent of all searches being made by voice by 2020 can sound far-fetched — after all, how could consumers change their search patterns so much in a little over a year?”

Retail Shoppers Prefer Email Offers, But Text Is Gaining: Study (December 18, 2018)
MediaPost: “Email is favored by 41% of consumers for receiving sale, discount and coupon offers.  Second, chosen by 38%, are text messages and app push messages are third, with 21%.”

Retailers trim holiday ad spending by 2%, analysis finds (December 18, 2018)
Marketing Dive: “This holiday season, retailers are shifting their ad budgets from traditional formats, like TV to digital channels, as more shoppers plan to shop for gifts via mobile devices. The digital approach can help retailers reach younger shoppers who tend to be tech-savvy.”

National brands rein in ad spend growth on Facebook, analysis finds (December 18, 2018)
Mobile Marketer: “Facebook’s ad revenue from national marketers is up 25% between January and October of 2018 compared with the same period a year ago, which is a slower pace than in the past, according to a Standard Media Index (SMI) report shared with Marketing Dive.”