Local search is currently the most popular form of marketing for small- and medium-sized businesses in the United States, according to a new survey by digital content specialists RevLocal. The study found that enterprises are invested more heavily in local search, which includes PPC and local SEO, compared to other search initiatives.
RevLocal polled around 600 SMBs Stateside during July, and the study indicated that a vast majority of companies are happy with their marketing efforts, with almost two-thirds revealing that they were effective, while 13 per cent deemed them very effective.
A separate survey by Thrive Analytics found that a large proportion of SMBs are not using any analytic tools to measure their online marketing, which is surprising considering how important metrics and feedback channels have become for those aiming to optimise their strategies to maximise reach and drive traffic.
The Thrive study also showed that small businesses are now beginning to make use of all the marketing options available to them, as they now use an average of almost eight channels to market themselves. This growing complexity is another argument in favour of how critical ROI tracking is becoming in a competitive digital marketing environment. Other recent surveys have also shown that those working with partners and digital agencies run into problems when they don’t have relevant performance indications available.
The RevLocal study also found that 60 per cent of businesses are now investing in SEO and social media, and that all but five per cent of enterprises are looking to maintain or increase their digital content marketing budgets during the next 12 months.
“Local businesses need to do more with less, and search marketing is no exception,” RevLocal President Aaron Boggs said. “Our study shows what we have known to be true, local businesses understand that digital marketing should be a priority, but the market is fragmented and results are unclear. RevLocal is aimed at providing that clarity by providing a personalized approach to digital marketing that caters to the unique needs of this group.”
