Following the release of its Local Ranking Factors survey, Moz has published a "State of Local SEO" report. The insights are derived from responses of about 1,400 local marketers, categorized by marketer type (agency vs. in-house) and company size.
Confusion and Fragmented Efforts. The report reveals intriguing details about marketers’ local SEO knowledge and practices. However, it generally conveys a sense of fragmented efforts and high levels of confusion among those involved in local SEO.
Apart from the formal local search rankings study mentioned, the survey inquired about the factors impacting local search rankings. Thirty-two percent of respondents named proximity as the top factor, although the next largest group claimed there was no single top ranking factor, and 11 percent did not understand the question.
Proximity Affects Results Quality and Other Insights. Here are some of the survey’s key findings:
- 90 percent believe Google’s emphasis on proximity often harms the quality of search results.
- 64 percent consider Google as the new "homepage" for local businesses.
- 66 percent of clients and agencies prioritize conversions and revenue over rankings alone.
- 65 percent of marketers use between two to five local SEO tools and software, with Google tools being predominant.
- 43 percent of organizations have only one or no full-time SEO practitioners on staff.
- 35 percent of local marketers have no link-building strategy.
The survey also discovered that more than half of marketers (55 percent) feel confident their sites are mobile-ready, while 45 percent are not. Lastly, almost 70 percent of companies surveyed are running paid advertisements on Google.
There is additional data and analysis in the full report.
Why Marketers Should Care. A significant portion of mobile phone activity revolves around finding products, services, or entertainment in the offline world. As observed recently, mobile devices have surpassed desktops in driving retail site traffic. Regardless of the official percentage of searches with "local intent"—Google currently places this at 30 percent—the focus is increasingly on delivering locally relevant content to mobile users, ensuring continued engagement with Google properties.
Local search is not simply a niche concern; it is almost universally significant. Unless operating exclusively online, brands, retailers, and service providers need to devote more effort to appearing in local queries, especially in a mobile setting.
