SEO software developers MOZ" /> Google's dominance in local search leads marketers to seek creative alternatives

Advanced Search

Google's dominance in local search leads marketers to seek creative alternatives

Google's dominance in local search leads marketers to seek creative alternatives
By
02 January 2019 (Edited )
Share this article:

SEO software developers MOZ this week released their State of Local SEO Industry Report 2019 based on data from a survey of 1400+ local marketers, both agency and in-house, across a broad spectrum of industries and job titles.

Essentially all those surveyed agreed that in local search, there's a lack of serious competition for Google and paid results are becoming increasingly important.

Some key detailed findings:

  • 32% of marketers said proximity to the searcher is the top ranking factor in Google Local Pack. "Proper Google Local categorization" was #2 at 10%.
  • 90% agreed that Google's focus on proximity sometimes or frequently adversely affects the quality of search results.
  • Degree to which marketers' companies benefited from the Google 1 August 2018 algorithm update correlates positively with the number of SEOs on staff. 52% of brands and 23% of agencies with 6 or more SEOs on staff said they benefited from the update, vs. only 7% of brands and 8% of agencies with no SEOs on staff.
  • 64% of respondents agreed that "Google is becoming the new homepage for local businesses" - because Google displays so much information that users don't need to click through to the business's own website.
  • However: 65% of marketers agreed that businesses with websites that rank highly in organic search also have high visibility in local search - so their organic website authority is supporting local search rank.
  • 49% agreed that Google Posts, Q&A and other Knowledge Panel features affect local search rankings.
  • But 29% of small local business marketers and 20% of large local brand marketers said they were not familiar with the Google Knowledge Panel. (This is where the most basic business information like address, phone number and hours appears.)
  • 91% of respondents agreed that various aspects of Google reviews influence Local Pack rankings.
  • 66% of respondents said they now care most about conversions and revenue; rankings and traffic are less important (both at 14%).
  • However: 20% of small-business marketers still see high rankings as their highest priority.
  • 62% of marketers find that there's a lack of good local SEO training.
  • Top local-marketing services requested of marketers are:
    • On-site SEO 19%
    • Website design 12%
    • Analysis of ranking/traffic/conversions 12%
    • Content development 10%
    • Social media 10%
  • 24% (#1 response) of marketers said they plan to learn more about organic SEO in the next 12 months. ("New Google Local features" was #2 at 14%.)
  • 17% of enterprise-size businesses (1000+ employees) have no SEOs on staff.
  • Only 22% of small-business marketers claimed to have a "deep understanding" of SEO.
  • 35% of marketers said they have no local link building strategy in place. The #1 pick of those who do have one was "content development".
  • 60% said their company has no review-management structure in place.
  • 31% said their company isn't ready for Google's mobile-first index.
  • 69% said their company uses Google paid-advertising products. Growth of Google's Local Service Ads program will likely lead to an increase in that % in 2019.
  • Only 10% of companies are using in-store marketing technologies.
  • 34% of companies don't regularly use e-mail for marketing, despite its high ROI.
  • Barely half of companies are using word-of-mouth or loyalty programs.
  • 75% of marketers say they're getting involved in offline business issues.
  • 90% of marketers use no more than 5 local SEO tools - maybe more /better tools are needed.
  • Top Google tools marketers say they're using:
    • Analytics 93%
    • Search Console 76%
    • GMB Insights 65%
    • Tag Manager 47%

====================================

Comments:

  • Google seems to be really into "near me" searches right now, so the proximity/quality tradeoff won't be going away anytime soon.
  • To be competitive, local businesses now need both a strong presence in Google local search, and a website that ranks well in organic search. (This creates job security for marketers.)
  • Nobody should be unfamiliar with the Knowledge Panel.
  • High rankings are kind of like social-media follows: they don't pay the rent.
  • Mobile-first readiness is essential to getting all those "near-me" searches.
  • Companies and agencies should use the MOZ findings as a taking-off point for a SWOT analysis aimed at correcting knowledge/capability gaps.

Bookmark and Share

--> Share this article:

And if you have questions or comments, you can easily send them to me with the Quick Reply form, below, or send me an e-mail.


David Boggs MS    - David
David@DavidHBoggs.com
View David Boggs's profile on LinkedIn

Google Certifications - David H Boggs
View my profile on Quora
Subscribe to my blog

External Article: https://downloads.digitalmarketingdepot.com/rs/727-ZQE-044/images/MOZ_1811_LocSEO2019.pdf


Website
Visit Website
Rating
4/5 based on 1 vote.
Show Individual Votes
Related Listings

Sorry, you don't have permission to post comments. Log in, or register if you haven't yet.

Please login or register.

Members currently reading this thread: