If you run a hyperlocal business, it can be tough to keep up with all the new technology coming your way. Just when you managed to set up a website, social media took off, and you needed to learn how to be active there too. Everyone said you should use AdWords to promote your business, but then Search Engine Optimization (SEO) came along, and you had to find out how to rank high in organic search results.

The focus has now turned to mobile search. We’ve discussed the significant move to mobile over the last two years, and it shows no signs of stopping. We recently came across a marketing document from Google that outlines their perspective on the mobile opportunity. Let’s take a look at some of the statistics from their brochure and explore how it affects your business.

To start, Google says in the brochure:

If your business has a physical location, you know by now that mobile search is the new front door to your store. In fact, every month people visit 1.5 billion destinations related to what they searched for on Google.

Mobile search is the new front door. What makes them say this?

  1. There are now more Google searches on mobile than desktop, and more than half of all web traffic now comes from mobile and tablet devices. This has all happened primarily in the past 2 years, and this trend will only continue. We are a mobile society, with unparalleled processing power in our pockets. And with the improvements around voice search, it will be easier than ever to search for things while on the go.
  2. 30% of those mobile searches are related to location. Intent based search is by far the biggest opportunity for small businesses. It levels the playing field with large brands considerably, since folks that are searching via location are looking for things near them right now. If you happen to be near a searcher with something they need, you have a great chance of getting contacted, if they can find you.
  3. 2.1x and 1.3x – the increase in “open now” and “where to find/buy” searches in the past year. See #2. This all has to do with location and convenience.
  4. 75% and 25% – More than 3 out of 4 people that search for something nearby on their mobile device visit a business within a day. And more than 1 out of those 4 people purchase something. For those of you focusing solely on advertising, do you know that your conversion rate from online ads is likely less than 1%? A business that focuses on mobile visibility has a 25X chance of getting new business vs. a business that solely buys display ads.

The only thing the Google brochure did not discuss is where to focus your efforts to get mobile visibility. Certainly your own website needs to be mobile responsive. But there is much more to do, and many small businesses find the task list daunting. Fortunately, if you have a hyperlocal digital publisher in your community, they can do a lot of this for you.

So there you have it – a quick explanation of why mobile is so important, and a simple way to take advantage of it. So, what are you waiting for?