Near me – is no longer just about finding a specific place. It’s now about finding a specific thing, in a specific area, and in a specific period of time. – according to this blog post from think with Google.
“near me” searches are no longer just about place, but about time and things as well – Lisa Gevelber, VP Marketing for the Americas – Google
People using mobiles to search around a place are getting more specific with their search intent. According to Google, “near me” mobile searches that contain a variant of “can I buy” or “to buy” have grown over 500% over the last two years. These include things like “where can I buy stamps near me,” “places to buy scrubs near me,” or “where to buy vinyl records near me.”
What are expectations of customers?
People now expect search technology to find the places in their area where they can get what they need. The informed shopper don’t want to drive around multiple stores to buy something but want to narrow in that one store to go and buy something using “near me” search.
So the searches are no more just about “restaurants near me” or “petrol pumps near me”, it has gone one level above with very specific intent – from “cowboy boots near me,” to “where to get a facial near me,” and “tarragon near me.”
What does “near me” mean for your business?
In this scenario, the challenge for marketers is to make sure you’re giving people the right data and right answers they’re looking for as quickly as possible.
As a business, you should ensure your business locations are updated and accurate, and more importantly, you should look at other things aspect like business hours, phone numbers, latest offers updated on your “Google My Business”dashboard.
