Local Search Experiencing Strong Growth

I love a study with good stats, and this one definitely counts. I was at the SES Local show in Denver yesterday talking to SEOs and SEMs about our tasty Live Local product, and could have used this information a day earlier. 

The study found that the 63 percent of Internet users in the United States executed local search online in July, up a whopping 43 percent from the same time last year. Source: Local Search Experiencing Strong Growth, with Google in the Lead

For me, using a mapping service is less about getting explicit directions from one place to another and more about exploring the world around me to find businesses, check traffic, learn about how to get around by car or by foot, etc. The Bird’s Eye views in Live Local are a great way to see what an area really looks like before you get there by showing you actual aerial photography of the location taken from a low-flying airplane, and the overlays of businesses can help you plan an afternoon or evening out really well. One of the things I would love to see improved, though, is the quantity and quality of business listings that we use. They are good, but could be a lot better.