Rio SEO’s second annual local search consumer behavior study reveals compelling insights to help brands create local experiences designed to build loyalty and long-term customer relationships.

New proprietary research conducted by Rio SEO found consumers are searching for local businesses, products, services, and information more frequently than ever before. Eighty-three percent said they conduct searches every day. This figure is up from 76% in the company’s 2021 study. This insight is just one of the many findings from a newly published study from Rio SEO, the leading local marketing platform for enterprise brands.

“Consumers expectations continue to grow and brands are tasked with exceeding their needs to improve customer retention and satisfaction,” said Mick Wilson, Vice President of Customer Success, Rio SEO. “Customer experience must be a top-tier priority for marketers and business owners alike in 2022.”

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The study as a whole sheds new light on how brands can improve their local experience, the critical intersection of local marketing and customer experience. Local experience includes how consumers conduct online searches, the impact of reviews and ratings on their decision-making processes, which platforms are most frequently used as part of their local shopping journey, and more.

Rio SEO’s 2022 Local Search Consumer Behavior Study also found that over half of searchers are looking to make a purchase within 72 hours of conducting a local search for a business, product, or service, and nearly three-quarters (74%) of consumers frequently use Google Search/Maps to find information about businesses in their area. Optimizing every aspect of a business listing is crucial in 2022, as more than 50% of respondents look at every single one of the main business listing areas (business description, hours, address, and more) when searching for information.

Additional key highlights and takeaways from Rio SEO’s 2022 Local Search Consumer Behavior Survey include:

• 66% of local consumers are looking to travel 10 miles or less for a product or service.
• The average person reads six reviews before visiting a business.
• 63% of consumers said first-party reviews (reviews displayed on a brand’s website) are likely to influence their purchasing decision.
• 77% of local consumers expect a response within 48 hours when they reach out to a brand through a business listing or their website.

“Consumers expectations continue to grow, and brands are tasked with exceeding their needs to improve customer retention and satisfaction,” said Mick Wilson, Vice President of Customer Success, Rio SEO. “That’s why customer experience must be a top-tier priority for marketers and business owners alike in 2022. These findings arm marketers with crucial consumer behavior insights that can help fine-tune and evolve their existing strategies. It can also serve a source of inspiration for new endeavors marketers and business owners can consider to provide a seamless local experience from initial search and beyond the sale.”

Businesses, consumers, and marketers can utilize Rio SEO’s latest study to discover important trends to help put their business listing, review, page, and customer performance metrics in context and enhance their customer’s journey with their business from discovery to post-sale. This study will also help marketers improve their brand’s local search visibility, stand out and increase conversions from search in competitive markets, control and enhance its online reputation, and create memorable experiences to build loyalty and positive long-term relationships with customers.

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