What you need to know about local search in 2015

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With the widespread use of smartphones and the creation of an environment where you can connect to the Internet anytime and anywhere, it has become commonplace to "look it up on the Internet when you don't know something!"
This trend is also spreading to so-called local searches, where Internet users search for information about nearby areas, and more and more people are trying to get information about nearby stores through Internet searches. What should you keep in mind for future local searches so that you don't miss the chance to connect with customers and potential customers? We will introduce the latest trends for the coming year of 2015.

Your website needs to be mobile-friendly
Search engines have been rapidly adapting to mobile devices, including local searches, in 2013 and 2014. With the number of web searches from mobile devices, such as smartphones, now surpassing the number of searches from PCs, this trend is likely to continue in 2015.

Search engines such as Google also recommend that websites take measures to be mobile-friendly. Google recommends responsive design, but it is also acceptable to prepare pages tailored to each device, so it is essential to make efforts to be mobile-friendly.
is not technically compatible, you may be penalized a complete list of unit mobile phone numbers database by search engines, so you need to be careful.

More importance placed on reviews and ratings
From 2013 to 2014, Google has been placing emphasis on reviews and ratings when displaying local search results. This trend is likely to continue in the future, as Google has a goal of growing Google+ by collecting reliable word-of-mouth reviews and ratings from local customers.

In light of these trends, individual businesses and stores need to encourage their customers to write reviews and give ratings, and gather as many word-of-mouth recommendations as possible. In addition, it is also important to continue making efforts to improve overall ratings, such as by sincerely listening to negative feedback and working to make improvements.

Traffic from social media is also highly rated
More traffic to your website from social media will help it rank higher in search engines. Social media links continue to be valued more highly in local search algorithms as "connections between users" than paid links or unnatural links with low relevance, which may be penalized.
In this way, using social media not only has a marketing effect, but also helps to improve your ranking in search engines, so why not actively use social media to increase your organic traffic?

Aiming for a user-friendly website
The points that are emphasized in local search, such as mobile compatibility, extensive reviews, and information sharing on social media, are all things that increase user convenience. A high rating from a search engine means that the site is valuable and useful to users who search.
If you aim to create a convenient site from the user's perspective, the results will come naturally. Be sure to keep this in mind as a point for future site improvements.