Local Insights & Strategies
Impact of Digital on Offline Consumer Behavior
Evolution of Local Search
Search to Assisted Discovery
Directories to Marketplaces
ROI Speculation to Actual Measurement
Inferred and Expressed Intent
Ambiguity Regarding Intent
Specific Site Categories
Ranking on the SERP
Search = Directional Intent
Online Influencing Online = Reviews
Internet Reach Extended
Mobile Enables "Location Analytics"
Multiple Sources and Multiple Devices
Mobile Now the Primary Device
New Kinds of SEO (LBO/PVO)
From SEO to Data Optimization
AI + NLP + VA + UI + New Search Experiences
Screen Free Search, Connected Cars, New Realities
Conversational Commerce
AI / Bots / Assistants
#LSS2016
1. STATE OF LOCAL: THEN & NOW
GREG STERLING
VP Strategy & Insights – LSA
@gsterling
#LSS2016
2. #LSS2016
About LSA
• LSA is a non-profit trade group based in
Michigan
• 300+ members in 27 countries
• Members include RIO, Google, YP, Yahoo,
Yelp, Microsoft . . .
• Focus on local marketing/LBS – enterprise
and SMB
3. #LSS2016
• LSA, Search Engine Land
• Impact of digital on offline consumer
behavior
• Following local since Y2K
• Twitter: @gsterling
About Me (Semi-Boring)
4. #LSS2016
• Appeared in People Magazine in college
• Co-wrote an independent film that was
produced last year
• Worked for the law firm that represented
OJ before “The People vs. OJ Simpson”
lawyers took over
• Impersonations: Yoda, Pee Wee Herman
About Me (Fun Facts)
6. #LSS2016
Evolution of Local
• From search to “assisted discovery”
• New user experiences/assistants
• From directories to marketplaces
• ROI: from speculation to actual measurement
(O2O, transactions)
7. #LSS2016
What Is Local Search?
“Local'search'is'the'use'of'
specialized'Internet'search'
engines'that'allow'users'to'submit'
geographically3constrained3
searches3against3a3structured3
database3of3local3business3
listings.”
;;Wikipedia''
19. #LSS2016
Internet Reach Extended
82% of shoppers say they consult their phones
on purchases they're about to make in a store
Source:(Google/Ipsos consumer(survey(data(2/16
26. #LSS2016
All Mobile Queries “Potentially Local”
Source:(statements(made(at(LSA16(conference,(SF,(CA(3/16
Google director of
engineering Chandu Thota
said that mobile search is
inherently local and that
Google regards all mobile
queries as potentially local
32. #LSS2016
Mobile Pages Boosted
“Beginning in May, we’ll start rolling out
an update to mobile search results that
increases the effect of the ranking signal
to help our users find even more pages
that are relevant and mobile-friendly.”
-Google webmaster blog 3/16/16
AMP:3Accelerated3
Mobile3Pages
33. #LSS2016
AI + NLP + VA + UI =
New Search Experiences
Source:(MindMeld,(October(2015,(n=1,800(US(smartphone(users
Momentum: 60% started using w/in
last 12 months
41. #LSS2016
Conclusions/Takeaways
• Mobile centric consumer
• More paths for “local discovery”
• AI/bots/Assistants
• More fragmented user behavior, new UI/UXs
• From “Local SEO” to local data syndication
• Location analytics and closed loop tracking