More and more people are turning to applications such as Google Maps and Apple Maps to find local businesses than ever before.
According to a recent study by BrightLocal, 20% of local searches now happen directly within these map applications, skipping the more traditional search engines.
Whether someone is looking for a nearby coffee shop or a local plumber, instead of typing their query into Google, users are opting to open their preferred map application and making a search directly from there.
The same study into Consumer Search Behaviour also found that Google Maps is the second most popular platform for local searches, just after Google Search itself.
With one in five local searches now starting in a map application, it’s important for businesses to ensure their listings are accurate and up to date across all map platforms.
This includes verifying important details like phone numbers, business addresses, email contacts and opening hours.
If your business information is incorrect, or worse, missing, it could mean that you’re losing out on a large chunk of potential customers.
Think about it, if you were looking for a local service and found a business on the map, but their contact details were wrong, you may decide to just move onto one of their competitors.
While many businesses focus their efforts on improving visibility in traditional search engine results, this shift in how users are conducting local searches presents a potentially untapped local SEO opportunity.
By optimising your presence on map apps, you can make it easier for people to find your business when they’re looking and ready to convert.
Need some help optimising your business presence in Google Maps? Reach out to the team of experts at Engage Web today.
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- YouTube testing AI Overviews in search results - April 29, 2025
