Think With Google: 81 Percent Of Mobile Searches Are For ‘Immediate Information’

When consumers search on their smartphones, it’s generally because they want to take an action. Here’s how businesses can capitalize.

A third of smartphone users have purchased something from a company only because of information provided in the moment they needed it, according to research from Think With Google — a finding that reinforces the idea that brands must target “micro-moments” in order to reach consumers and win their business.

Micro moments? “Turning to our smartphones when we need something — a forgotten word, a better price, a movie time — has become a reflex,” Google’s Matt Lawson told GeoMarketing in 2015. “We want things right, and we want things right away. As a result, the consumer journey looks markedly different than it did just five years ago. Instead of a few moments of truth, it’s a series of ‘micro-moments’ when we turn to mobile to act on a need.”

Need It Now

Think With Google finds that 81 percent of smartphone users do searches on their phones that are more focused on information they need immediately in order to take an action, hence why these ‘micro-moments’ matter — and why 76 percent of location searches result in a store visit with one day.

However, “90 percent of smartphone users are not absolutely certain of the specific brand they want to buy when they begin looking for information online,” Think With Google says. A customer searches “shoes near me” or “bagels NYC,” and therein lies the opportunity for brands: ranking high — notably, in the three-pack of mapped results — in mobile search ensures that consumers find their listing at the time when they are most likely to actually go somewhere and make a purchase.

This quest to be the first to reach customers in search results is the impetus behind the growing field of location management: If a store’s location information details are incorrect or inconsistent across its online presence, it’s likely that the business could lose out on a sale.

Essentially, what Think With Google’s data appears to confirm is this: Businesses succeed on mobile by maintaining an accurate digital presence and targeting consumers with relevant content based on their location.

“You need to find your customers where they are,” said AMP Agency’s Jena Kovacevic, speaking at Yext’s Location Lounge panel last month. “If you’re not finding them in the right place, you’re going to fail — and that’s the reality.”