Local "near me" searches on Google surged 34 times

NEW YORK—When it comes to search, consumers are thinking local.

Google released data Wednesday showing that "near me" searches have surged 34 times since 2011, and have nearly doubled since last year. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of these local searches—80% in the fourth quarter of 2014—come from mobile devices.

What's more, half the consumers who conduct a local search visit a store within that day; 18% make a purchase. And nearly half of people—and 60% of millennials--who are not sure where to eat, search for a restaurant within an hour of going.

Local searches are also more common when folks are on the road and during weekends.

Google says that while a few brand names show up in near me searches, most local searches are generic—"breakfast near me," "coffee near me" and so on.

"It seems that convenience often trumps brand loyalty in the moment," writes Google direct of search ads marketing Matt Lawson, in a post for the company. "So, simply being there isn't enough, brands also need to provide useful, relevant, frictionless experiences."

Lawson goes on to say that consumers are making big decisions in small moments. "Today's consumers are increasingly looking for things that are specific to where they are. While the most popular "near me" searches are for things you might expect—gyms, tailors, jewelers, shoe stores, furniture stores, appliances—there are some you may not. People have started to search for "dermatologists near me," "plumbers near me," "jobs near me"... Today, this in-depth research doesn't require a desktop—it's happening in stolen moments throughout the day."

Google's release of data on local search comes when not all the news surrounding the company's search practices has been positive. The European Union has accused Google of illegally abusing its dominance of the Internet search market in Europe by favoring its own comparison-shopping product when consumers shop online.

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