Prepared by comScore, Inc.
5th Annual Local Search Usage Study
February, 2012
Introduction & Background
V1011
comScore analyzed the behavior, attitudes, and intentions of online local business searchers.
Study Design: Overall study design leverages both a quantitative survey and behavioral data from comScore’s U.S consumer panel.
- Survey Design: The survey study consists of a targeted sample of over 4,000 users of local business Internet searchers, broken into 3 search categories: Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search Sites, and Portal Search Sites
- Behavioral Data: comScore provides additional analysis of total web search activity, local web search activity, and local mobile content consumption.
Key Findings
1.The explosion of tablets and mobile is reshaping local search and buying behavior
2.Consumers are increasingly engaging in new methods to find local business information like social media and daily deals
3.Local listings are the most relevant and trusted search results
Explosion of Mobile, Tablets Shapes Local Search & Buying Behavior
Smartphone ...
61%
39%Don't Use Local Search
Use Local Search
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
27%
42%
Smartphone Penetration, U.S. Mobile Phone Owners
% o
f To
tal U
S M
ob
ile U
sers
55%Y/Y Growth
Local Search Usage
comScore Mobilens U.S, Dec’11
42% of mobile phone owners have a
smartphone
Mobile Phone Use in Local Business Search
61% of smartphone owners conduct local
business searches from their phone
Local Business Search Device Choice
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
51%
37%34%
25%22% 21%
1%
15%
33%
40%36%
39% 38%
32%
4%
15%
Reasons for Choosing Device for Local Business Searches
Mobile Phone Tablet
Because tablets are easily used throughout the entire local business search process, tablet users believe they can find more complete information on this device.
As smartphone technology allows for location-based services, many mobile users engage with search on their devices due to the on-the-go necessity for local information.
Purchase Rate by Device
Made Purchase Amount Spent on Purchase
All Mobile Phone Tablet
46% 45% 51%
21% 22% 11%
22% 26%26%
10% 7% 12%
$500+
$100-$499
$50-$99
$1-$49
Due to the on-the-go local nature of mobile searches, mobile phone and tablet users have more of an opportunity to purchase shortly after search and are more likely to make a purchase after searching for a local business on device.
32% 32% 38%
All Mobile Phone Tablet
58%
72%
86%
Frequency of Online Local Business Searches
Overall PC/Laptop Mobile Phone
Tablet0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
6% 9% 8%16%
16%20% 19%
27%0.15235560504831
8
0.198959299118815 0.17641690652155
5
0.218320492240247
0.416979706143026
0.502551155492323
0.292749940336986
0.247710707199919
0.206947343149006
0.00952230460381573
0.260593691020575
0.110350905964442
Never
Less than once a week
Once a week
A couple of times a week
Every day
Frequency of Online Local Business Searches
Mobile Phone Tablet0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
44%57%
48%36%
9% 7%
Less often than last year
About the same as last year
More often than last year
Change in Device Usage in Past Year
(Among Mobile and Tablet Users)
Tablet owners are the most active local business searchers – more than 64% use weekly for local search.
Tablet users are the most active. Most tablet users conduct local business searches at least once a week. This is more frequently than PC/Laptop users and Mobile Phone users.
New Methods of Finding Local Business Info Including Social Media and Daily Deals
Use of Social Networking Sites for Local Search
2008 2009 2010 2011
4%
7%
9%
15%
Overall Use of Social Networking Sites to Search for Local Business
(Primary and Secondary Source)
Use of Social Networking Sites for local business searches has increased 67% since 2010. Facebook proves to be the Social Networking Site most frequently used to find local business information.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%91%
37%30%
25%
14%11%
3%
Social Network Sites Used in 2011
In 2010, 93% cited us-ing Facebook. 47%
used MySpace.
* Response Added in 2011
Daily Deal Repeat Customer
Typical Business Purchased From
31%
17%
53% Purchase equally from new and previously used businesses
New customer
Old customer
Purchased Multiple Daily Deals from Same Business
45%
41%
15%
Do no intend to do so
No, but plan to do so
Yes
Most daily deal users return to businesses they have visited in the past. Additionally, they have or intend to purchase multiple daily deals from the same site.
Satisfaction with Daily Deal Sites
Satisfaction with Daily Deal Sites(Top 2 Box Rating on 5 Point Scale)
RedBea
con.
com
Tippr
.com
DealsG
oRou
nd.co
m
Sharin
gSpr
ee.co
m
Yipit.c
om
Tanga
.com
BuyW
ithM
e.co
m
CityPoc
kets.
com
Scout
mob
.com
DailyC
andy
.com
1sal
eada
y.com
Group
on.co
m
Yelp.
com
Livin
gSoc
ial.c
om
Kgbde
als.c
om
bloo
msp
ot.co
m
Thrilli
st.co
m
Evers
ave.
com
Trave
lzoo.
com
93% 93% 93% 92% 92%91% 90% 89% 89% 89% 88%
88% 87%86% 86%
84% 84% 83%
78%
And, overall satisfaction with the deals purchased remains high.
All Social Networkers
22%10%
22%
13%
31%
30%
14%
20%
11%
27%More than 10
6-10
2-5
1
None
2010 2011
23%27%
38%
45%
All
Social Networker Local Business Users
Consumer Review Submission
Submit Consumer Reviews
Number of Reviews Submitted in Past 30 Days
55%
76%
2010 2011
23%
29%
49%52%
All
Social Network Local Business Users
Use of Consumer Ratings and Reviews
Social network local business users are heavily engaged in social aspects of local business search through profound usage of and contribution to consumer reviews sites.
Local Listings Most Relevant and Trusted Search Results
Expected Features and Information by Site
Phone number
Address Hours of operation
Website Maps Driving di-rections
Distance to the business
Consumer ratings/reviews
Promos/on-line dis-counts
Methods of payment accepted
67% 67%64%
48%46%
42%
36% 35% 34%32%
72%68% 67%
46% 44%41%
34%31% 30%
32%
62%64%
58%
46%50%
46%
39%35%
33% 32%
67% 67% 66%
53%
45%41%
35%39% 40%
33%
All IYP Local Portal
When searching online for local businesses, basic business Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP) information is still the most critical search data.
Local Search Results – Most Relevant and Trustworthy
Local search results
Natural search results
Paid search results
Paid results
61%
27%
10%
2%
58%
31%
9%
2%
Most relevant results Most trustworthy results
Opinion on Search Results
Local business searchers do not believe paid results are relevant or trustworthy.
The Influence of Social Networking Sites
“Are you more likely to use a local business if a connection recommends it?”
2010 20110%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
69% 63%
14% 19%
18% 18%
Yes No Don't Know
“Are you more likely to use a local business if it has information available on a social networking site?”
2010 20110%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
74% 72%
12% 15%
14% 12%
Yes No Don't Know
Social networking sites influence local business decisions. Users are more likely to use a local business if its information is available on a social networking site.
-6-2
Pt. Change
Discovery Search
All - 2009 All - 2010 All - 2011
IYP - 2009
IYP - 2010
IYP - 2011
Local - 2009
Local - 2010
Local - 2011
Portal - 2009
Portal - 2010
Portal - 2011
58% 55% 51%59% 57% 53%
62% 57% 53% 54% 52% 47%
42% 45% 49%41% 43% 47%
38% 43% 47% 46% 48% 53%Non-Specific Business Search
Specific Business Search
Search Type By Site
More local business searches are conducted without a specific business in mind, once again showing that more research is being done online early in the search process.
Questions?
Gregg StewartPresident15miles855.515.0015 [email protected]
Mike PychaSenior Director Business Development, [email protected]