It should come as no surprise that Google is the dominant force in search. The search engine processes an estimated 255,600 search queries every second, translating to more than 22 billion searches a day!

Despite rising competition in Bing and AI-powered search platforms, Google traffic trends are only going up, making it the most likely place for local businesses to get found by nearby customers.

So, if you want to drive traffic through Google, it's vital to understand what local search trends can affect your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing performance.

What Google Traffic Trends Drive Local Search Performance?

If a user searches "restaurants near me," Google displays three Maps results of restaurants within the user's proximity. Appearing among these three featured results, known as the Google 3-Pack, can greatly boost your business's visibility and give you a competitive edge.

Google's algorithm is designed to provide users with the most relevant and accurate search results, so it looks at several important ranking factors to determine which businesses are relevant to any given local search.

It takes a deep understanding of these ranking factors, along with strategic planning and consistent local search engine optimization (SEO), to move your business up the ranks in Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) and generate more traffic, both online and on the ground.

Four Google Local Search Trends To Understand If You Want To Succeed in Local SEO

1. Zero-Click Search Results

Nearly two-thirds of the searches on Google end without a click-through to other content.

This is due to the fact that the first page of Google has changed drastically over the past few years.

Google no longer simply provides users with a list of websites with relevant information, but rather gives them a variety of media to choose from, from YouTube videos to traditional articles to Reddit threads.

All of this is presented in an interactive, increasingly AI-integrated SERP, engineered to provide users with the information they need without having to leave the search results page. These are called "no-click" or "zero-click" search results.

In terms of local search trends, three featured Google Business Profiles still tend to appear at the top of search results, but Google's AI rollout is also creating new spaces where these GBP snippets can get featured.

For example, restaurants and bars can get featured in AI-organized results pages, with GBP listings getting grouped into new carousel-style views based on different characteristics.

Since the point of zero-click searches is to ensure users don't expend additional effort to find what they're looking for, an optimized Business Profile for Google Search and Maps is necessary to improve rankings and be as visible as possible, in as many places as possible.

Ensuring your business profile is updated and accurate means Google can provide users with the information they need to make a decision about your business without them having to visit your website. You want to answer your customers' queries right on the results page.

2. Voice Search for "Near Me"-Type Searches

A whopping 88% of all local searches end with a visit or call to a business within 24 hours, with mobile searches driving a large portion of this Google traffic trend.

Mobile searches for local businesses continue to rise, especially as voice searches via smartphones and through voice assistants, like Amazon Alexa, are becoming more commonplace.

Consumers have changed the way they find information, often preferring conversational searches over traditional text-based queries, especially when it comes to "near me"-type searches.

For example, smartphone users are more inclined than ever to simply ask their devices something like "Siri, what are the best Indian restaurants near me with lamb vindaloo?," rather than typing all that into a search engine.

All of this is to say: it's time to optimize your business for local voice search. Hopping on board with this local search trend is guaranteed to help your business get found in more search results for conversational queries.

3. Quality-Based Results

How does Google measure the quality of search results? Well, Google has a huge network of algorithms that seek out high-quality, helpful, and authoritative content.

Gone are the days when stuffing web pages with keywords would guarantee you a spot at the top of the list on Google. The search giant has picked up on these dodgy local search trends, and their algorithm has become better at spotting shortcuts like keyword stuffing.

One key strategy here is to create helpful content that your potential customers actually want to see, and do so regularly.

Doing this will help establish your business as a leader in your industry and a prominent member of your local community, which can positively impact your local search rankings and Google traffic trends.

Another important ranking signal related to prominence is your business's Google reviews. Your review quantity, quality, and recency all directly impact your rankings on Google. So, make sure to implement robust review management practices in your local SEO strategy.

We recommend using Local Falcon's AI Reviews Analysis tool to analyze all reviews for your business and its top competitors, providing you with instant insights into how to improve business performance by addressing issues or reinforcing strengths. This can lead to more positive reviews and, ultimately, better local search rankings!

4. Visual Search

Another one of the top trends impacting local search is the rise of visual search. Images from Google Business Profiles appear in local search results, and users are even using images instead of words to perform searches via Google, AI platforms, and other search tools.

The key to leveraging this local search trend is to optimize your GBP listing with high-quality photos.

Make sure to use relevant images that are highly specific to the services you provide, and regularly upload new photos to keep your profile fresh with new content.

For example, if you run a restaurant, avoid the stock photos and include photos of your actual food, staff, and restaurant. Using authentic photos from your business will build trust with your customers and increase the likelihood of Google incorporating them into search results.

Not only that, but having lots of engaging photos on your GBP can increase dwell time on your listing, signaling to Google that your business is relevant and helping boost your rankings for future searches.

Try Local Falcon To Track Rankings and Optimize for Local Search Trends

Understanding these local search trends is crucial for staying competitive on Google and keeping up with Google traffic trends.

Whether it's optimizing for zero-click results, tailoring strategies for voice and visual search, or focusing on quality-driven content, your local SEO strategy must evolve with Google's ever-changing algorithms to remain effective.

But understanding trends is just the beginning; you also need actionable insights to put them into practice. That's where Local Falcon can help.

With tools like geo-grid rank tracking, AI-powered reviews analysis, and competitor monitoring, Local Falcon gives you the edge you need to optimize your Google Business Profile and adapt to these trends.

By regularly tracking your rankings and refining your local SEO approach, you can secure a spot in the 3-Pack and drive more traffic to your business.