I have been in the SEO and digital marketing industry for years. One thing that has continuously surprised me is ignorance among small business owners and marketing directors relating to the ‘near me’ search. It is so critical to modern SEO that it can make or break a local company’s online success.
A ‘near me’ search is an organic search in which the phrase ‘near me’ is included in the search terms. Examples include ‘fast food restaurants near me’ and ‘SEO services near me’. The key component in all such searches is the desire to find a business or service provider located close by.
Are you unsure of how important ‘near me’ searches have become? If so, check out the following statistics. I sourced them from a variety of reputable names including The Media Captain and Think with Google.
Shopping Near Me Has Grown 200%
Topping my list of statistics is one suggesting that searching with the phrase ‘shopping near me’ has grown some 200% in recent years. I am guessing that such searches cover a broad base of retail products. What I find most fascinating about the statistic is that it reveals that brick-and-mortar shopping is not dead. Ecommerce is extremely popular, but a certain segment of the population still enjoys the physical shopping experience.
Searches Including Buyer Terms Have Skyrocketed
If you think 200% growth for shopping searches is impressive, try this one on for size: ‘near me’ mobile searches that contain terms like ‘can I buy’ or ‘to buy’ have grown some 500% during the same time span. This tells me that consumers are initiating ‘near me’ searches with the intent to buy already in place.
Google’s 3-Pack Generates a Ton of Traffic
When organic searches are clearly aimed at products and services, Google displays its Google My Business 3-Pack at the top of the results page. When it comes to ‘near me’ searches, the 3-Pack accounts for 44% of the actual traffic the first results page generates. Think about that.
If your business shows up in the 3-Pack section, your chances of getting traffic are far higher than even the site in the first position of the traditional results. ‘Near me’ searches generate 3-Pack listings by their very nature. So that means a site really should be optimized for the 3-Pack if it is also optimized for ‘near me’ searches.
Near Me Is More Popular Than Zip Code
In the early days of local online searches, people were more inclined to search by zip code. That is no longer the case. Since 2015, zip code searches have declined by more than 30%. Meanwhile, ‘near me’ searches have grown exponentially.
At Webtek Digital Marketing in Salt Lake City, UT, ‘near me’ searches are important to a whole host of clients that rely heavily on local search for traffic. Webtek says that the state’s emphasis on tourism and the skiing industry brings in a lot of visitors all looking for hotels, restaurants, and shopping experiences near them. The state offers a perfect illustration of why ‘near me’ searches have replaced zip code searches.
‘Near Me’ Searches Benefit Car Dealers
Here is the last statistic I want to mention – growth in searches for car dealers and dealer services ‘near me’ are up by some 200% in recent years. I am closing with this one just to demonstrate the simple fact that, whether someone is looking for a place to go shopping, a restaurant for this evening’s meal, or a car dealership offering his favorite ride, the chances of that person using a ‘near me’ search are pretty high.