Dont Be Out -Convenienced Digital Search Trends Frank Beard | - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Don’t Be Out-Convenienced

Digital Search Trends

Frank Beard | GasBuddy

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SPEAKER

Frank Beard | GasBuddy

Analyst/Evangelist, Convenience Store Trends

• Speaker, writer, industry advocate
• NACS Daily columnist
• Analysis and coverage in: USA Today, NPR, Washington Post,

People.com

• Visits convenience stores across the United States

linkedin.com/en/frankbeard @FrankBeard

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SEARCH BEHAVIORS HAVE EVOLVED

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FOR THE PERFECT PIT STOP

Downloads to Date Monthly Active Users All Time Price Reports

80M+ 12M+ 3B+

Ratings & Reviews

20M+

Daily Location Pings

375M $

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PROXIMITY SEARCH 82%

• f U.S. smartphone users

have performed a “near me” search

200%

growth in past two years for searches using the terms

• pen, now, and near me
• Today’s devices make it easier than

ever to find local businesses

• Consumers search during the path to

purchase—not just before

Sources: Uberall, Google

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WHAT LOCATION MEANS TODAY 86%

• f GasBuddy users who

filter search results are looking for specific brands

60%

• f users who perform a

“near me” search click on the first 2-3 results

• It’s not enough to be located on the right

corner or intersection

• Retailers must exist on the major search

platforms

Sources: GasBuddy, Google

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INACCURATE LISTINGS 93%

• f consumers are frustrated

by incorrect information in

• nline directories

22%

visited a wrong location last year because a business address was incorrect online

• If consumers can’t find a business when they

search, they’re likely to bypass it

• Inaccurate listings also lead to confusion and

lost sales

Source: BrightLocal

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THE CHALLENGE FOR THIS INDUSTRY

Fuel and convenience retailers are uniquely exposed the problem of inaccurate listings:

• Mergers and acquisitions leave behind
• utdated listings
• Dual-branding on the canopy and c-store
• Compared to QSRs, hotels, and other verticals,

fuel and convenience has been slow to control their listings

Source: GasBuddy user reviews

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WHAT ABOUT VOICE SEARCH?

Unlike search queries and map apps, voice search returns a single result

• Search questions are more human-like,

triggering more precise results

• Only one business can win in voice search

Source: Backlink, eMarketer

60%

• f mobile searchers now

use voice search

111.8 million

people in the U.S. will use a voice assistant at least monthly during 2019

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IMPACT OF ACCURATE LISTINGS 37%

• f clients’ stations had pins

previously 11-to-50 meters away from their actual locations

17%

uplift in GasBuddy station detail impressions for a retailer after only 8 months

• Analysis of results on Google Maps and

GasBuddy

• Correlation between increased GasBuddy app

impressions and fuel transactions

Source: GasBuddy data

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IMPACT OF ACCURATE LISTINGS

Source: Google My Business (GMB)

TOTAL SEARCHES

Number of times customers found this listing by searching

• n Google Search or Maps.

DIRECT SEARCHES

Number of times customers found this listing by searching for the business name or address on Google Search or Maps.

DISCOVERY SEARCHES

Number of times customers found this listing by searching for the category, product or service on Google Search or Maps.

MAP VIEWS

Number of times this listing has been viewed on Google Maps.

PHONE CALL ACTIONS

Number of times customers have called the business from this listing. 2018 5,566,811 2019 8,775,543

⬆57.6%

2018 12,272,982 2019 19,780,494

⬆61.2%

2018 33,491 2019 76,797

⬆129.3

% 2018 5,708,459 2019 12,358,840

⬆116.5

% 2018 141,648 2019 3,583,297

⬆2430%

DIRECTIONS TO STORES

Number of times customers have requested directions from this listing. 2018 222,012 2019 256,195

⬆15.4%

• GasBuddy client (large convenience retailer)

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WHAT CAN YOU DO?

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WORK WITH A TRUSTED PARTNER

Manual updates can be time-consuming for even small companies with a few locations

• Most major location platforms offer free

services to claim and control your listings

• This can be labor-intensive once you have

more than a few locations under your brand

• Working with a trusted partner who can

update your listings across all major platforms will save time and help eliminate inaccurate information

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FOCUS ON KEY INFORMATION

A recent study of 73,000 businesses found that only 4% are “voice search ready”

• Focus on these 6 pieces of information

(from most to least-important)

• i. Address

ii.Opening hours iii.Phone number iv.Business name v.Website vi.Zip code

Source: Uberall Voice Search Readiness Report 2019

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HAVE YOU UPLOADED PHOTOS?

Photos act as a quality-signal for potential customers, and they can showcase what makes your businesses unique

• Many convenience retailers lack accurate photos
• n Google Maps, Yelp, and other platforms
• Showcase your foodservice, new store designs,

brand, and more

• Lack of photos may cause consumers to wonder

if you’re even in business

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RESOURCES

• CSP Magazine

List It (Correctly) and They Will Come (link)

• Case Study

Drive sales with accurate digital listings (link)

• GasBuddy Blog

Have you prepared for the digital search revolution? (link)

• GasBuddy Blog

Four things you should know about voice search (link)

THANK YOU

fbeard@gasbuddy.com | business.gasbuddy.com