The State of Local SEO Industry Report 2020

Local search maps out real-world communities, connecting residents and travelers to businesses that can fulfill their needs. How those connections happen is a constantly shifting puzzle that local SEOs seek to analyze and solve.

These survey results present a snapshot of local SEO, both before and and during COVID-19, including a section devoted specifically to data gathered during the public health emergency. It delves deeply into the priorities of brands and their marketers. The good news is that we see a strong emphasis on organic assets: Marketers are embracing the power of websites, building robust on-site strategies that complement and strengthen their work on third-party platforms like Google My Business. This means many businesses are in strong positions to further grow their organic presence and find new ways to get their products and services to consumers, from local e-commerce to curbside pickup.

Local search marketing has always existed in a state of rapid and continuous change. Read on to explore the priorities and knowledge of marketers and local business owners, and use this data to prepare and build an agile, future-forward strategy.

Beginning in December 2019 through February 2020, we surveyed 1000+ professionals working in local marketing, asking them each 40 questions about their work in the industry. Responses were analyzed individually, by marketer type, company size, company type, and as a whole. Respondents represented a broad range of local marketers across industries, marketing job titles, and role level.

As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we launched a follow-up survey in March 2020. This addendum included six questions focused on how this unforeseeable event has impacted marketers. 306 professionals, across business types and sizes, completed the second survey.

Marketing even a single-location business requires the help of many hands. From writers to webmasters, from in-store staff to marketing departments and external agencies, executing a local SEO campaign is collaborative and diverse.

The truth is, marketing professionals with dozens of different job titles are doing the actual work of local SEO. This survey reflects that diversity. There’s a demand for education, services, and tools at every level to help with organization, analysis, strategy, and implementation.

As the competition to rank higher and drive more traffic gets increasingly fierce, more businesses are sourcing dedicated personnel to perform SEO work. This year, 77% of respondents shared that they have one or more SEOs on staff — up 8% from last year.

Local queries account for almost half of Google’s two trillion searches per year. When moving up a spot on a search result page equates to big traffic wins, businesses both large and small are vying to come out on top.

Whether to feed or fight Google’s substantial control of online local search marketing, a dramatic 19% YoY increase in survey respondents said they are involved in making offline marketing suggestions.

Competitive marketers will go beyond digital to learn what it’s like in the trenches — to actually run a retail store, a restaurant, franchise, or large medical center. In-depth, niche industry knowledge can mean the difference between “good enough” and “groundbreaking” when it comes to local strategy.

Where the larger search industry uses the concepts of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EAT) to guide their understanding of Google’s algorithms, local SEOs are doubling down on local business reviews as a fundamental trust factor.

Across the board, marketers agree that reviews impact Google’s local rankings. Beyond that, reviews shape reputation, impact conversions, and drive both customer service and sales. They’re a force that cannot be ignored when crafting a modern local strategy.

Local marketers operate in a world where Google rules nearly all. From the SERP experience to the tools used to track and analyze performance, success seems impossible outside of the search giant’s influence.

But customer engagement goes beyond the local pack. With on-page SEO considered
#1 among organic ranking factors, reputation management booming, and offline strategy
on the rise, opportunity awaits outside of the Google My Business profile. And with consumer habits shifting dramatically under the influence of COVID-19, knowing your audience and catering to their unique needs is more vital than ever.

Optimizing for the customer is this year’s golden rule — whether they’re visiting your website or your flagship store.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents to our COVID-19 impact survey swiftly implemented new methods of customer fulfillment (such as e-commerce, delivery, curbside pickup, takeout, or teleservices) and over half intend to maintain these offerings in the future.

While an emergency has driven overnight adoption of new services for safety’s sake, it will be consumer convenience that assigns long-term value to these options. It’s a positive show of strength that businesses have demonstrated agility in meeting both sudden and evolving future demands.