I recently asked the question to a few small businesses and clients that I’m close with around the country… How effective has Local Search been for your business.  The answers that I’ve been given have been all across the board, some good, some bad but more over what most people say to me is “we don’t use it at all” 

For the businesses that use local search as part of their Internet strategies, you get it… but for the latter, I find this to be fascinating. Let’s look at a few facts about local search and how consumers are online today.

92% of all people are online today and let’s face it, the Internet has become our lifes, both personally and professionally.

97% of people with online access will research products and services online before they buy – we still like to buy from the bricks and motars. 
Interesting enough, 35% of all searches are done with an intent to buy.
and 55% of all local searches are done with an intent to buy.
Of all local searches, 8 out of 10 call or visit a store and 60% of those result in a purchase of some kind.
Times are rapidly changing and traditional advertising mediums are losing their effectiveness.

The internet has changed the way the world communicates, gathers, stores and sends information. However, this global connection has created a problem for the local business in their local markets. Why? Traditional print advertising has become less effective.  Most people have thrown their Yellow Pages away and search online instead and Newspaper’s readership is down over 50% and many papers are declaring bankruptcy.

On the other side of local business and local search is big business. It’s true that search results in general are dominated by large companies. That is proven to be true with Local search as well. The big guys understand that us consumers are smart and we’re looking everywhere for the best deals, including using local search engines.

Business owners reading this post, I hope by now you are reading all there is to read about search, search engine marketing, blogging and anything else related to getting you better exposure with your online presence. We’re doping everyday and we’re a small business just like you!

According to Mike Shields and Performics, the search-specializing shop within Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi, its retail clients increased search spending in July by 13 percent versus the same month last year. That was the first such jump in monthly spending recorded this year—a year when Americans have been saving more and reluctant to spend during the ongoing recession (as evidenced by recent poor retail sales figures).

Previously, during the first six months of the year, though spending was not on the rise, efficiency was; Performics’ retail brands saw their return on investment climb 8.8 percent as overall search spending slipped, in part driving down pricing. During that period, Performics noted a five-cent, or 8 percent, decline in the average cost-per-click paid by search advertisers.

July’s surge in spending is providing hope for the rest of the year. Besides retail brands, the agency saw increased spending in the auto category, driven by the U.S. government’s Cash for Clunkers initiative.

July also proved to be promising for Bing, Microsoft’s much ballyhooed search reboot. Performics’ clients spent 40 percent more in search dollars with Microsoft than during the previous month when Bing debuted. Competition for ad inventory on Bing is also on the rise, as Performics recorded a 19-cent lift in average cost-per-click on the new search engine.