The Coronavirus pandemic has had a wide-ranging and unpredictable impact on the way consumers interact with businesses and use search to find solutions to their needs. Informational needs have grown exponentially as people learn to navigate public health measures, social distancing, new shopping methods such as BOPIS and contactless delivery, and more. Each month, we’ve seen notable shifts in consumer behavior, and local consumer search trends November presented were up to par with the unpredictability of the year.
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve learned that consumer behavior can vary widely by vertical depending on the circumstances. In our initial six-month analysis of local search consumer behavior, for example, we learned that while clicks from local search listings to call sit down restaurants fell, clicks to call business services brands exploded with a 101% increase over the same period the year before. Clicks to call retail locations increased even more, by 337%.
Now we’re analyzing local search data across 203,600 enterprise brand locations to determine how COVID-19 is impacting local consumer behavior month-over-month.
Our analysis of October 2020 local search consumer trends found that search interest in hotels remained stagnant, while actions on local retail listings increased dramatically. And despite declines in total views and searches for healthcare brands, consumers were taking action in greater numbers with total clicks, clicks to call, and clicks to visit websites all up over the month prior.
Local Search Consumer Behavior Trends November Update
In this post, we examine how local search consumer behavior trended in November 2020, as compared to October.
Business Services Brands
Interest in the business services vertical was down slightly last month, with a larger decline in clicks to phone calls. We anticipate similar figures for December, with business services searches picking up in the new year.
Financial Services Brands
Similar to business services, the financial services industry also saw slight decreases across the board. Some of these declines can be attributed to the increase in shutdowns across the United States as the pandemic continues to affect certain regions more than others.
Sit-Down Restaurants
Sit down restaurants saw a decline in both views and clicks. In some states, such as California, the governor restricted indoor and outdoor dining, and restaurants can only offer takeout or delivery. These restrictions likely contributed to the decreases.
Quick-Service Restaurants
Similar to sit down restaurants, quick service restaurants also saw declines across the board and likely for similar reasons.
Hotels
Interest in hotels declined largely, as stay-at-home orders became more widespread across the country, and with rising numbers, consumers are spending more time at home.
Retail
Interest in retailers was up slightly in terms of views and searches, however, driving directions took a slight decrease. This can likely be attributed to the shift to e-commerce shopping.
Healthcare
Healthcare brands are continuing to see increases in both views and clicks, as the need for healthcare continues to remain a priority amid the pandemic.
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