Largely fueled by the prevalence of mobile devices, there’s been a massive spike in the number of local search users in recent years. For this post, I’m going to list some of the more interesting statistics that illustrate the current state of local search and why your law firm should make it a top priority.

97 percent of consumers have searched online to find a local business.

While it’s no surprise that many people turn to search engines to find businesses in their area, it’s amazing that nearly all consumers have done it at some point in time. This speaks to the power of search engines and how big of a role they play in connecting brands and consumers.

“86 percent of people look up the location of a business on Google Maps.”

Google Maps is the go-to resource for finding a location. Whether users are simply getting their bearings or plugging a company name or address in the GPS, it’s an extremely popular platform.

It also means that having your law firm appear on Google Maps within the search results and Google’s Local Pack can bring in a high volume of leads. Here’s an example.

“46 percent of all searches on Google are local.”

This one I really found surprising. Of course a decent chunk of Google searches will be local, but it’s amazing to think that nearly half of them are.

But when you consider that over 52 percent of all website traffic came from mobile phones in 2018, it certainly makes sense. The majority of search users are within a close proximity of the businesses they’re searching for, including law firms.

“Google’s Consumer Insights has reported a 900 percent + increase in ‘near me tonight/today’ searches in the past two years.”

Almost everyone has used a “near me” search at some point where they type in something like “law firms near me.” It’s simply more convenient than typing out the full name of a city and state. But what’s crazy is that there’s been a staggering 900 percent increase over the past two years.

This shows the importance of optimizing for near me searches — something you can learn about here.

“78 percent of location-based mobile searches result in an offline purchase.”

By this point, you may be thinking that targeting local search users is a smart move, but wondering whether it actually results in actual conversions in a brick-and-mortar setting. And this stat clearly shows that it does.

We’re at an interesting juncture where the online and offline worlds are becoming increasingly integrated. A growing number of prospects are finding businesses online through search but making their purchase offline.

“18 percent of location-based mobile searches result in a sale within one day.”

This final stat shows that the time period between an initial search and a sale is often quite brief. While this data applies primarily to retail brands, it’s safe to say that law firms could convert a decent number of leads into clients within a single day.

SEO is rapidly evolving with new trends appearing all of the time. These statistics prove why it’s so critical to target local search users, especially if your law firm has only one office.

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Nick Mann

Nick Mann has been a freelance writer for nearly a decade and has worked with numerous clients. He writes articles on a variety of subjects, but specializes in business, legal marketing and tech. When not writing, he enjoys playing disc golf, sports, hiking and travel. Nick lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

These Stats Illustrate the Importance of Targeting Local Search Users