Ad network Chitika has just
released some new data — you’re seeing it here first — that compares
local search volumes on Google, Yahoo and Bing. The study examined both
PC and mobile traffic to determine an overall number.
Chitika looked at “millions of online ad impressions seen between
September 21st and 27th, 2012.” To ensure it was measuring “local
search,” Chitika compared the queries it was seeing from the engines
“against its extensive database of local keywords and phrases (e.g.
“near me,” “in Boston,” “around St. Louis,” etc.).”
What Chitika found was that 43 percent of the overall query volume
coming from Google (mobile and PC) carried a local intent. That compared
with 25 percent on Yahoo and Bing.
Roughly two years ago Google reported that 20 percent of PC queries
“were related to location.” Since that time Google has put considerable
effort into its local and map results, both online and in mobile.
In 2011 Google said that 40 percent of mobile search traffic is local. And last week a Google representative at an event informally said that now 50 percent of mobile search carries a local intent.
Obviously mobile search has raised the overall local percentage
reported by Chitika (see postscript below). But these figures argue that
local search volumes across engines are now quite massive. Indeed, they
represent billions of queries monthly on the PC and mobile web. In
addition they’re very high-value queries because local searchers are
more likely to covert than others, especially mobile users.
Postscript: I asked Chitika to provide a breakdown
of PC vs. mobile search in these findings. Chitika said that nearly
three-quarters of Google’s local queries are in fact coming from mobile.
It’s the opposite for Bing and Yahoo. However this is logical given
that their mobile query volumes are so small compared to their PC
volumes and to Google’s mobile search volume.
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