Local search has become a significant part of search engine optimization (SEO). In fact, this has become one of the most important aspects that should be given a lot of attention especially for local businesses. From a local SEO perspective, it is imperative for local businesses to add local terms in their content and links. This will give them an edge over their competitors when done correctly. This works by giving Google a clear idea of your location and the areas you serve thus appearing in search results for these specific areas.

Basically, it all boils down to the behavior of searchers. Thus, three main questions arise. The first question is on how searchers perform their search for local businesses. The second question is whether searchers use local modifiers or not. The third question is if searchers expect to get local results for generic or non-local search terms. These are the questions that you need to think about in order to have a good local search strategy in place.

A Simple Study
To answer the question, I searched online for a study regarding these questions. The bad news is that it took a very long time. The good news is that I came across such a study that can help us answer these questions. The study was done with a panel that is made up of 1,250 U.S. based local consumers.

The study indicated that about 59% of consumers use Google at least once a month to locate a local business. Also, about 71% of the panel value the information in local search results. The study also indicates that around 60% of searchers responded positively to local listings with a photograph. This is the reason why an attention-grabbing photo is very important as the main profile image of your website.

The study also indicates that more than half or around 54% of searchers use some kind of a local modifier (town name, ZIP code, etc.) in their search terms. About 17% of the respondents answered that they never use a local modifier. However, the study also indicated that older searchers are more likely to add a local modifier in their search terms. In fact, about 63% of the older respondents use a local modifier. On the other hand, younger searchers were found to less likely use any type of local modifier.

According to the study, just about 5% of local searchers add the name of the neighbourhood in their search terms. However, about 60% make use of a town name or city name and about 42% add a zip code. This is why a town or city name and a zip code are very important for local businesses.