According to a recent report by eMarketer, the majority of internet users prefer online search to find local products. Roughly a third of them also believe these results to be “trustworthy and accurate.”
The survey was conducted among internet users in March of 2017 by Burke for the Local Search Association (LSA). One really huge piece of news that businesses should also take note of:
“eight out of 10 respondents said a search engine was their top choice among a collection of digital and non-digital sources to look up information for local businesses last year.”
While printed white and yellow page publications hit an all time low, 80% of users surveyed said they used a search engine in the week prior to the survey. The data showed that online search lead other sources when it comes to consumer trust and accuracy. In other words, Google is doing a great job at producing high-quality search results for it’s users.
Respondents Cited a ‘Company Website’ As Their 2nd Choice
Another huge takeaway from this survey is the importance of a branded website. People trust Google because Google has created an environment that gives it’s users good reason to trust them. A user’s 2nd choice though was a company website – which speaks volumes about the importance of your own online brand and making sure that it’s easy for customers to find.