Let us clear up something,
Local Visibility = Mobile Visibility

Many business owners and corporation CEO’s have become frustrated with digital advertising and marketing because they are not getting the returns they expected. This frustration may lead many to believe that implementing a digital route will not work for them; when in reality, it is the approach that is not working. One of these approaches is using an ad-supported model – which many individuals claim to be broken. Ev Williams, CEO of Medium was quoted discussing this topic, “It’s clear that the broken system is ad-driven media on the internet” and continued to explain it is because “It simply doesn’t serve people”.

Something that does serve everyday people browsing the internet is search engine optimization (SEO). Optimizing a brand’s search results does not involve annoying pop-up ads, but instead focuses on making a brand easy to find online. In the first quarter of 2015, mobile searches outpaced those made on the web. This trend has grown exponentially since then which is why businesses today must have a mobile presence to stay relevant.

To understand why a business’ local and mobile visibility is important we need to first understand that the two go hand in hand with one another, and are essentially one and the same. Consumers search locally from their mobile far more often than they use the web, despite this many marketers are still stuck focusing on web searches. To put this into perspective, 95% of smartphone users use local search, yet only 7% of businesses have a local search strategy implemented.

Drew Hendrick’s put it perfectly in his recent article, “What is the Future of Search in 2017”, where he simply states “mobile-friendly or bust”. Remember when coming across a mobile-friendly website on your phone was a treat? Today it is a necessity, and it reflects poorly on your business when consumers do a local search only to find no time was taken to translate your website between the web and mobile view.

95% of smartphone users use local search, yet only 7% of businesses have a local search strategy implemented

Local search is mobile search; therefore, local visibility is mobile visibility. The statistics speak for themselves regarding why businesses need a local and mobile presence. Regarding driving new customers into your business, 90% of consumers read online reviews before they visit. If your business is lacking in reviews consumers will be less likely to visit, and they will be even more unlikely to visit if reviews found are poor. Once consumers complete their mobile research 92% of them went out and made a purchase within 24 hours. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses – local especially – to keep up with this mobile trend.

Keeping up with digital trends is a job in itself; yet, it is one that must be undertaken to be successful in today’s market. With the rise of digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and Google Assist, it is more vital than ever to make the top of a search list. If you are not the first result, the consumers implementing these tools are not going to hear from you. Seeing how search engines, like Google, are making results specific to one’s location, local businesses must master local search – or partner with someone who does. To master the mobile search process, businesses need to claim and fortify their location on as many review sites as soon as possible. For businesses that have more than one location, make a centralized site with links that can connect consumers to each locations’ own website. Make it obvious to consumers where they can find your business. This is when you can begin using marketing and advertising strategies to appeal to local consumers and drive them to your business.

For More Information

• Digital media is brutal, and Medium’s Ev Williams just showed why
• What is the Future of Search in 2017?