Near Me SEO Stats That Validates The Power of Local Search
“Near me” searches continue to skyrocket in popularity on Google. It used to be that people would scour through Yellow Pages to find nearby businesses. Later on, searchers would input their zip codes so Google could detect nearby destinations. Yelp was once the go-to spot for restaurant research before Google overtook its market share.
Nowadays, “near me” is one of the most popular search queries worldwide and Google is where most near me searches occur. There is a direct correlation between the popularity and usage of smartphones and the uptick in near-me queries, which makes sense but is something to be cognizant of. There is also such strong intent for near-me searchers as it often results in a store visit or purchase.
I scoured through all of Google’s blogs on near-me statistics and highlighted some of the most fascinating ones. I also included some of our client data for near-me searches.
Related Blog: How to Optimize for Near Me on Google
1. Searches for “shopping near me” have grown over 200% in the past two years.
While eCommerce continues to grow, this validates the importance of local businesses with brick-and-mortar stores.
2. 500% growth in “near me” mobile searches that contain a variant of “can I buy” or “to buy” over the last two years
When people search “near me” they are looking to buy, which showcases the power of these localized searches.
3. 200% growth in car dealership-related “near me” searches
Examples include car dealerships near me, used car dealerships near me, and [brand car dealerships near me]. While sites like Carvana deliver to your door, there is still a strong desire for local car dealerships.
4. The 3-Pack results get 44% of actual clicks on Google’s results page
Google My Business populates at the top of the search results with bright star ratings and prominent local information. “Near Me” searches generate a lot of local pack clicks.
Related Blog: How to optimize your Google My Business page
Tip: When you look at the reporting metrics of your GMB page, you can see how many people searched for “near me” queries for your business.
5. Searches for local places with “near me” have grown 150%, faster than comparable searches that do not include “near me.”
More people are conducting Google searches than ever before. There is a clear trend where near-me search is rising compared to non-near-me queries.
6. 900%+ growth in mobile searches for “___ near me today/tonight.”
Examples include “open house near me today” “5-star hotels near me tonight” and “card shows near me today.” When someone is searching for something today and nearby, there is high intent as they want to take action.
7. 97% of search engine users search online to find a local business.
Long gone are the days of the Yellow Pages helping someone find a local company. The search begins and ends with Google.
8. 200%+ growth in mobile searches for “Open” + “now” + “near me
Examples include: thrift stores open now near me, and bars open now near me. People want to know what’s open now and nearby!
9. 28% of “near me” searches result in a purchase.
The desire to purchase is so strong with near-me search queries. Nearly ¼ people make a purchase when seeking out near-me businesses.
10. 3x increase in mobile searches for “near me.”
There is a direct correlation between smartphone advancements and near-me queries. Google does such a great job of identifying nearby businesses via your phone.
11. 600% growth in mobile searches for “dresses near me.”
Examples include homecoming dresses near me and wedding dresses near me. This search type makes sense since people want to try on a dress and are looking for a nearby business.
Related Blog: 30 incredible Google My Business stats
12. Searches for zip code qualifiers have declined by over 30% since 2015
People used to type in “Mexican restaurant 43215” when seeking good Mexican food. The searcher knows Google doesn’t need this identifier but replaces it with “near me.”
13. Over 85% of our clients track “near me” queries to gauge SEO success
Our agency works with hundreds of clients. More than 85% of our clients track “near me” queries within SEMRush, our SEO tracking software. Some eCommerce businesses don’t have any local intent but for the majority of our clients, near me is essential to their SEO success.
14. Over 50% of all “near me” searches will result in an in-store visit
Not trying to beat a dead horse but there is such strong intent on near-me queries. So many local businesses don’t put the proper optimization efforts into local SEO, which can drive some of the most high-intent customers to your business.
15. As of May 2023, a whopping 93.12% of all search queries conducted across all search engine providers are done through Google
When it comes to near-me searches, Google is a behemoth. It’s essential to focus your near-me optimization on Google search as this will be the most impactful.
The high majority of sources from my article came directly from Google. There were also other credible sites where I referenced some of their statistics. I wanted to highlight all sources below:
1: Think with Google
2. WebFX
3. Safari Digital
