Introducing the Local and Mobile Search Indices
Local search is a thriving field in the online search marketing arena. Searchers are localizing their queries in ever greater numbers with volumes currently comfortably in the range of 3 billion local searches per month. Search queries are localized in two distinct manners. The first of which is explicitly stated local search. These types of searches occur when the user explicitly states the location of their concern. An example of this would be a search for “Overland Park pizza”. We see the same explicit local searches with designations by city, county, state, zip code, suburb, school district, borough, etc. Now technology allows for implicit location awareness as well, providing us with our second designation. Smart phones, tablets, wireless technology, geo targeting and other technology allows search engines to know where a user is at the time they conduct their search. This allows the search engines to tailor their search results to a user for a very specific location.
This is all important because marketers work very hard to get their messages in front of their prospective customers. As the media landscape shifts away from traditional media and into the “new traditional media” we need to make adjustments to our marketing campaigns to compensate. In order to effectively track local search and in order to optimize our efforts Go Local has developed a new set of indices. These two indices track search activity across 50 cities in the United States for 30 different verticals of interest. This particular cross-section allows us to understand the intricate workings of local search, to trend out the activity, to see it by specific industry, by a specific city, and over an extended period of time. We have already seen this data come alive with what it can provide and we are excited to share it with our fellow colleagues and marketers.
So how did we go about creating these indices? Where does the data come from? What does it tell us? Where can I get a copy? These are all good questions and we will work to answer them with the remainder of this particular paper.
The indices are compiled using search data, data made available from other research firms, and data proprietary to Go Local. The multiplicity of data sourcing provides a comprehensive look at search activity allowing for an understanding that is currently unavailable in the marketplace. The monitoring of local search trends, local search activity by city, and local search activity by vertical gives a unique perspective and understanding of the local search space. This unique perspective is one that continues to generate questions and further research, as we would hope. We already have plans for expansion, but that will come at another time.
We have one final twist regarding the indices. We created two of them. There is one set of data for PCs and laptops. These are the traditional devices for interacting with the web. There is another set of data specific to mobile usage. This is obviously growing tremendously and we wanted to monitor the mobile effect on local on an ongoing basis.
So where can you get a copy of the research? Here is a copy of the full local search index for January 2012. We will also be putting the public version of our findings on two different websites. The top-line PC and laptop data will be on LocalSearchIndex.com, while the top-line mobile usage will be presented on MobileSearchIndex.com. The compilation of the two data sources will be on LocalSearchIndex.com, whenever a summary of the data is worth sharing. It is also safe to say that the blog at GoLocal.com will be a major outlet for content specific to the research. You will be able to find ongoing pieces that are heavily research driven. It probably goes without saying that our data will also be shared on the Go Local Twitter account, the Go Local Facebook page, and the Go Local LinkedIn page. You will most certainly be able to find the data and the analysis if you are looking for it.
How often will you update your results? Our results will be updated on a monthly basis. Keep an eye on the domains mentioned above (GoLocal.com, LocalSearchIndex.com, and MobileSearchIndex.com) for the most current data. Look for the indices to update monthly, with updates for each being shared on their respective websites and on the Go Local blog. We will publish a white paper on a quarterly basis. This will also be available on each website and for downloading as an eBook. Blog posts, video clips, tweets, and other sharing will be ongoing.
What if I want more data than you are providing the public? This is something we certainly anticipate happening. In fact, we are creating city-specific reports and vertical specific reports we believe clients will find invaluable. We will also be generating custom reports for clients upon request. These reports will look at specific cities, markets, business lines, and other factors that are of interest to a client. When we pull the data, we will be able to show our clients their own custom indices. This will allow clients to see how well their current marketing efforts measure up to their custom indices and those of the market overall. We will also work with clients to develop a strategy for getting their marketing efforts in line with the actual search tendencies of their target market.
We are extremely excited to being working on this research. We believe it to be of utmost importance to the world of marketing, with particular interest to those of us who do our best to “go local”. It is our aim to carry the banner, to get the word out, to evangelize, and to make sure everyone knows that customers are local to somewhere. Even when they are mobile, they are local. When people socialize, they are local. When people are looking for deals, they are local. When people are downloading and using apps, they are local. If we can agree that our customers are local, can we agree you are doing your best to find them?
Posted in 
Tags: 
