You may already think you know the answer to, “Why do search engines matter to my business?” But let me take a minute to show you why they don’t just matter, they really matter.
By the Numbers
As of 2011, 92 percent of US Internet surfers use search engines.
In December of 2011, 18.2 billion searches were conducted with the major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. (Google alone had a staggering 12 billion, followed by Bing with 2.7 billion, and Yahoo! with 2.6 billion.
Google has about a 66% (yep, a full two-thirds) market share on searches performed.
Local Business Search
That means most of your customers and potential customers are using search engines…a lot. And they’re using it for everything from nationwide searches to, increasingly, local business. Search engines are now used to find local business information more often than the old surefire ways.
- 74% use search engines
- 65% use print yellow pages
- 50% use Internet yellow pages
- 44% use traditional newspapers
What does all this mean for your business?
It means that like it or not search engines are affecting your business. Your business needs to be listed in them and come up at the top of the results. Why? Because it pays to put your business where people are looking for it. People are looking for what you have to offer. If they don’t find you, they will find your competitor. Being invisible to a huge customer base costs your business big time.
This is true whether you are marketing in Kona, Hawaii or marketing in Fort Collins, Colorado. So, get out there, learn how to rank well, and do it.
Listen to this as a podcast here: Why do search engines matter to my business?
