A local business blog is usually not the first thing businesses think of when it comes to marketing and SEO in general. In today’s digital age, viral short video content on platforms like Tiktok and Instagram are where the eyeballs are at. Many businesses are looking for that next viral video or moment to stand out from the crowd.
SparkToro, a market and audience research company in the U.S, recently analysed 332 million search queries over 21 months on Google. They found that 60% of Google searches end without a single click. This presents itself as both a challenge and an opportunity for local businesses.
This is because while most searches may not lead to immediate website visits, the businesses that do capture clicks are winning big – specifically, 374 out of every 1000 searches result in valuable website traffic.
What’s even more compelling is that 90% of businesses now maintain active blogs, compared to just 5 million businesses using platforms like TikTok in the U.S. This stark difference shows where the savvy local businesses are investing their digital marketing efforts in. The numbers don’t lie – companies with blogs see 55% more website visitors and generate 67% more leads monthly than those without.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at 5 data-backed reasons why you need a local business blog in 2025, and how you can be among the businesses leveraging on those important clicks that drive real results.
Reason 1: Capture Mobile Search Traffic
It may sound surprising, but almost all of the websites we work on have more than 50% of the traffic from the mobile site. This lines up with other studies stating that a staggering 63.88% of global web traffic is coming from mobile devices. For local businesses such as yourself, this presents a crucial opportunity to connect with potential customers.
Mobile websites dominate local searches, with 57% of local search queries submitted using mobile devices or tablets. This trend is even more noticeable in certain demographics, as 80% of shoppers use their phones while in stores to look up product reviews, compare prices, or find alternative stores. And yes I happen to be one of them.
So how do blogs help your local business? Blogs play a pivotal role in optimising for mobile users by:
- Providing responsive, mobile-friendly content that adapts to different screen sizes.
- Offering concise, easily scannable information that caters to the on-the-go nature of mobile users.
- Incorporating local keywords and location-based information that aligns with mobile search patterns.
The impact on local customer decision making is significant. Customers who search on their smartphones are 2.3 times more likely to buy in store, and 18% of local searches on smartphones lead to a purchase within a day, compared to only 7% of non-local searches. To add to that, 70% of mobile searches who recently purchased something have used the call a business feature directly from the search results page.
Optimising your local business blog for mobile users not only improves your visibility in search results, it also directly influences local customers behaviour and drives foot traffic to your store. In an era where 50% of mobile users visit a local store within a day of their search, it’s safe to say that having a mobile-optimised blog is no longer optional – but its essential for capturing and converting local customers.
Reason 2: Break Through Zero-Click Searches
Zero-Click searches basically means that no clicks were made when a user searches for something on Google. Like we mentioned above, nearly 60% of Google searches end without a single click. Presenting a challenge and opportunity for local businesses. A well structured blog would help to capture those clicks in different ways.
Basic information such as business hours or addresses often result in zero-clicks. But a blog is able to provide more information than what Google can display on featured snippets. More detailed buyer guides, how-tos and industry insights encourage users to click through for more information.
So how can we use blogs specifically to get more clicks?
We can firstly structure the local business blog content to be optimised for the featured snippets. We can do that by structuring the content with clear headings and subheadings, and providing direct summarised answers at the beginning of each post. This will help Google’s bot scanners to find out what the blog content is about quickly and whether it answers the reader’s questions.
The next thing we can do is to provide comprehensive, well-researched content that goes beyond basic generic answers. Basically, the content must provide more information, expertise or a unique angle that AI cannot provide. This is especially true with Google’s new AI update where it will answer your searched questions and provide answers at the start. Of course things like readability and relevant appealing images don’t hurt as well.
(The key is to provide enough value in the snippet to establish authority while holding back detailed insights that encourage users to click through to your website.)
Reason 3: Target High-Value Local Keywords
When it comes to local searches, consumers are usually looking for specific information. These include business addresses (82%), operating hours (76%) and contact information (75%). Meaning to say that your business website should at least have all these key information. It might sound like common sense but a quick look at local business websites (or even Google business profiles) around you show that most local businesses don’t have all these information. These elements are crucial in providing credibility for your local business blog and website. Thus allowing Google to recommend your website to users.
A local business blog also allows you to target neighborhood specific keywords. Your main site may have keywords for broad terms like your city (eg. Perth), but your blog can use more specific keywords that resonates with the local community. For example your main website keyword might be “Fremantle Dentistry”, more local keywords might be “best seafood in Fremantle for braces”.
Some key approaches:
- Creating Content that addresses local events and community interests.
- Incorporating local landmarks and neighborhood references.
- Developing articles that speak directly to local customers
- Building content around seasonal topics relevant to your location.
All these things not only improves your search visibility, but it establishes your business as a community authority. This is an important strategy considering that 46% of Google searches are looking for local information.
Reason 4: Build Trust Through Content
Trust is the cornerstone of local business success. With 75% of consumers actively reading online reviews, creating a local business blog with customer reviews help to create a powerful trust relationship with the business and customer.
The first way that your local business blog can do this is by addressing common questions and concerns that appear in review feedback. By creating content that responds to customer pain points, you show that you are actively listening to feedback and that you are knowledgeable to what your customer concerns are. You are not just collecting 5 star reviews, you are actually using the feedback to improve and educate.
The combination of authentic reviews and expert blog content creates multiple trust signals for potential customers. A local business blog that provides detailed, educational content helps to convert that interest into action.
Reason 5: Drive Store Visits
Like we mentioned above, 80% of shoppers use their phones while in stores to look up product reviews, compare prices, or find alternative stores. Your local business blog plays a big part in the customer’s research phase. This impact is particularly strong among the younger consumers, who rank blogs as one of their most important sources of information for making buying decisions. For those aged 35-54, blogs are the second most influential source, right behind word of mouth recommendations from friends and family.
Some other stats to take note of:
- 46% of consumers use blogs for initial product investigation
- 43% seek inspiration from blog content
- 33% use blogs to narrow down their options
- 30% confirm their purchase choices through blog content
One strategy that you can use is to create online product pages. This will include local inventory information, promotions, events and detailed product guides for the product. Whether you provide the option to buy online is up to you. But the key is to provide the consumer with all the relevant information that they need before driving them to the store to make a physical visit.
An online product page will also provide an opportunity to utilise long-tail keywords. These are great because when customers search for specific detailed search terms (eg. the name of your product), they are usually further along in the buying cycle and are thus ready to make a purchase.
Conclusion
The data is clear: while 60% of Google searches may end without clicks, strategic blogging gives your local business the power to capture those valuable 374 clicks per 1,000 searches that do convert. With 90% of businesses now maintaining active blogs compared to just a fraction using newer platforms like TikTok, the path to local business growth in 2025 runs through consistent, quality content creation.
Key Benefits Recap:
- Capture the growing mobile search audience
- Break through the zero-click barrier with comprehensive content
- Target valuable local keywords that drive qualified traffic
- Build trust through expert content alongside reviews
- Convert online researchers into in-store visitors
Getting Started:
- Start with one high-quality blog post per month
- Focus on local keywords and community topics
- Optimize your content for mobile users
- Address common customer questions
- Include clear calls-to-action in every post
Ready to transform your local business’s online presence? Don’t wait until your competitors capture all the local search traffic.
Start your business blog today and position your business as the go-to local authority in your industry.
Contact us to learn how we can help you develop a winning local business blog strategy for 2025 and beyond.
