43% of Google Searches are Local

A new report, first reported by SearchEngineLand.com, shows the percentage of local searches on Google are continuing to rise, up to 43%. That means nearly half of all searches performed on Google are local in nature — consumers searching for businesses, locations or services near them. Google also recently announced that 50% of mobile searches are local. If you serve a local audience, these numbers reinforce what you already knew: customers are finding local business through Search, and many of them are searching through a smartphone or other mobile device.

If you haven’t already, check your local listing in Google. When you type in your business name, does your Google Plus Local result appear? Have you claimed your listing, and is your name, address, phone number and website correct? Are there any old locations or business names showing up?

If you see old, outdated or inconsistent information in your business listings, it’s time for some clean-up. Don’t stop with Google. Check Bing and Yahoo Local as well as directories like Yelp and CitySearch. Correct and consistent information, along with a steady stream of reviews, is the secret to ranking locally.