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Recently, BIA/Kelsey released its U.S. mobile local advertising forecast, which revealed that search is the largest mobile local revenue component and will be through the forecast period of 2016. It is also estimated that U.S. mobile local advertising will grow 54% from 2011 to 2016.

These results speak to the rapid changes we have recently seen within the local search space, most notably in mobile. Google reported that “50% of mobile searches have local intent,” up 10% from 12 months ago. Not only do we see local results on the SERP take up more than one-fourth of the page (depending on the searches), but a large amount of advertising is currently focused on targeting ads to users based on their location.

Without a doubt 2012 was a big year for digital marketing. There were several new advances to search alone, including the ability to get facts quicker with Google’s Knowledge Graph and the implementation of Google’s “Search Plus Your World,” which brought social into search results. Bing kept up by adding a social sidebar and their Snapshot feature, similar to the Knowledge Graph. The introduction of high-impact algorithms with cute animal names are also on a mission to improve the quality of Google’s search results.

While these items have had a significant impact on the evolution of search, one of the biggest changes to search in 2012 was the increased focus on local search. Local search will be a huge focus for every digital marketer in 2013. In order to get a head start on local search this year, here are some key things you need to know.

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With all the changes and updates Google has recently made to its Places pages and local search (such as the integration with Google+), optimizing and updating company data within Google’s local platforms remains crucial for your ranking results. 

As Interactive Marketing grows, we’re beginning to see an increase in integration between various online tactics. A recent Search Engine Land article found that iOS users are not only searching more than Android users, but the searches are predominantly local.

By Natalie Kleopfer, Account Coordinator

Looking to enhance your local and mobile advertising efforts? Learn how Google’s new updates can help.

On October 19th, Google unveiled several new mobile ad features and formats that will have a significant impact on pay-per-click (PPC) advertisers. Here’s a rundown of some of the key changes:

The distance between a user and an advertiser’s business is now factored into mobile search ad rankings. Local already accounts for 40% of mobile searches and the addition of proximity as a scoring factor will only cause that percentage to rise. Search Engine Land suggests that marketers start using  Location Extensions, a feature in AdWords that allows the addition of dynamic addresses to ads. While previous ads only allowed description lines and a URL, Location Extensions lets companies include their  names, addresses and phone numbers, too. This, combined with the new proximity factor, will help businesses drive more mobile traffic at a lower cost.

Another new Google feature is custom search advertisements for apps. Google will now place relevant ads in searchable mobile apps. If a user has an app that lets them search for a local movie theater, he or she will now see relevant movie theater and film advertising within the app.

Circulars, a new Google advertising format, is not restricted to mobile. Here’s how the new format works: When a user clicks on a search or display ad, he is directed to another ad featuring pictures and relevant products or offers. If the ad is viewed on a desktop computer, the user can email it to his mobile device. He can then take it to the business location to redeem the offers. This format is currently being tested with retailers Best Buy and Macy’s.

For more information about Google’s new offerings, visit the Google Mobile Ads Blog.