Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n Today I\u2019m going to break down the 11 trends that stuck out the most \u2013\u00a0and a bonus #12. The below images are excerpts from our full 2017 Internet Trends Report Infographic<\/a> that\u2019s available for embed and sharing with your clients and friends. Let\u2019s Get Started\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Are you really surprised that internet usage in the USA is up? The only thing that surprised me here is the fact that usage is up only by 4%. I\u2019m on the internet pretty much 24\/7, and so is my team. I imagine this is the same for a lot of companies around the United States.<\/p>\n A fact that really hit home for me is that desktop usage is declining by the minute, as mobile usage keeps increasing. Definitely, more of us are on the internet and we all seem to have smartphones!<\/p>\n Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, with mobile usage increasing we are definitely going to see an increase in mobile advertising spend. Surprisingly, it\u2019s reported that $73B is spent on Internet Advertising with only $37B of that total being spent on mobile. Does it seem like something\u2019s wrong with this picture?<\/p>\n In the USA alone there is a definite gap in the amount of time spent on mobile compared to the mobile ad spend \u2013\u00a0a 7% gap that advertisers should be taking advantage of. Are you leveraging mobile advertising yet? Maybe you need to put this into your next quarter\u2019s planning.<\/p>\n Right now Google and Facebook are dominating internet advertising growth. Brands and businesses seem to be spending the most money with them. In fact, of the $73B mentioned above, it appears Facebook is getting $13B of those dollars while Google is getting $35B.<\/p>\n From 2015 to 2016, Facebook advertising has increased a whopping 62%, Google 20%, and all others combined have increased 9%. Perhaps this explains why Twitter, Pinterest, and the other platforms are continually trying to fine-tune their advertising options.<\/p>\n While Google is getting $35B in advertising dollars, it looks like Facebook and Pinterest are actually getting the most sales. Of consumers surveyed, 26% reported that if they clicked a Facebook Ad, they followed through to make a purchase. On that same survey, 24% reported that Pinterest is a great place to browse and buy!<\/p>\n We have more and more clients shifting a portion of their advertising budget to Facebook ads, when it makes the most sense for their product. This allows them to stretch their ad dollars farther and reach consumers where they like to visit.<\/p>\n Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n Tracking social media ROI is the same elusive target it has always been. Just as with offline advertising, measuring is one of the biggest challenges, and many advertisers have shifted the metrics of what they consider a success. In fact, 56% consider the ad a success if they get engagement. Of those surveyed, 21% are still looking to the conversion to measure success. And surprisingly, 15% reported that if they see amplification, they\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t take this survey, but if I had, my priority would be conversion first (like a download, a demo requested, or an opt-in) <\/em>and engagement second. With engagement comes amplification, so I wouldn\u2019t consider it as much a metric as a positive side-effect.<\/p>\n As mentioned above, social media ROI is a big issue. In fact, 61% reported that their biggest challenge is measuring ROI. For others in some cases, it\u2019s getting the big boss (or the CFO) to approve the social media advertising budget, with 34% reporting they struggle with connecting social media campaigns to business goals. And that\u2019s probably the reason why they do not get that budget approval from the higher-ups.<\/p>\n With advertisers shifting their dollars to social media, consumers want and expect to get better online support. Mary Meeker reported that social media could help deliver that.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example. Because 60% of consumers want easier access to online support, Facebook\u2019s chat feature could be the answer. But hold on, because social media might not be the only solution.<\/p>\n Google has a messaging feature<\/a> that a local business can turn on within the Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) dashboard. When this feature is turned on, the consumer can send a text message to the business, and they can respond via text. If handled correctly, this means that 24\/7 customer service is basically available from Google search results.<\/p>\n The social media advertising stats above are eye-opening, but it doesn\u2019t mean you should stop looking to Google to spend an advertising budget! In fact, from 2005\u20132017 the number of Geo-Targeted local ads driving customers right to the door has increased 5x, for a total of 5B cumulative tracked store visits.<\/p>\n What should this tell you? Yes \u2013\u00a0it\u2019s time to make sure that location data is up-to-date! That Google Business Profile listing<\/a> will only continue to gain in importance, not drop or decrease.<\/p>\n Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n Have you replaced typing with voice on your phone yet? How many requests are you making daily to Siri or Google Now? Trends show that 20% of mobile queries are made via voice.<\/p>\n Consider the content on your website. Is it still stuffed with keywords, or is it conversational with a natural flow? 70% of requests made via voice search are in natural or conversational language. If the content is complicated and feels like it is written by a machine, chances of placement on the first page of search could be bleak.<\/p>\n Speaking of machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) is getting smarter each day. Let\u2019s use Amazon Echo as an example. Their AI has used learned over 12,000 skills as of April 2017. Currently they have over 10 million users, vs. less than 2 million users in 2015.<\/p>\n But I hope you realize Amazon is not the only one using AI. Google\u2019s RankBrain algorithm is a smart AI that returns search results to consumers based on their intent<\/em> vs. what they actually search for.<\/p>\n I began by talking about internet usage and mobile vs. desktop, and I want to close by sharing an eye-opening stat! Time being spent on mobile devices has doubled. In 2014 users spent an average of 2 hours,17 minutes per day. Today, mobile device time is topping out at over 4 hours and 14 minutes per day. And mobile usage will only continue to increase!<\/p>\n Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m known for telling it like it is, and today I want to tell you that local, mobile and social are more important than ever before. From advertising to mobile optimization and directory listings, businesses and brands that fail to meet the consumer on their own terms will be left behind!<\/p>\n Have you noticed the new products we are rolling out to help meet these consumer needs? From reputation management<\/a> and a branded mobile app solution<\/a>, to our location landing page technology<\/a>, we have you covered! Learn about our partner solutions today.<\/p>\nThe #QueenofLocalSEO\u2019s Take on the 2017 Internet Trends Report<\/h2>\n
![\"Internet](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/queen-internet-trends-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1. USA Internet Usage Grows Each Year<\/h3>\n
![\"2017](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/internet-usage-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. Advertising Spend Increases as Mobile Usage Increases<\/h3>\n
![\"2017](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/advertising-spend-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. Google and Facebook Dominate Internet Advertising Growth<\/h3>\n
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/google-fb-advertising-growth-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. Facebook and Pinterest Advertising are Driving Sales<\/h3>\n
![\"Facebook](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/facebook-pinterest-advertising-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. Social Media Advertisers Like Measurable Metrics<\/h3>\n
![\"Social](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/social-media-advertising-metrics-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n6. Marketers Still Find Social Media Marketing a Challenge<\/h3>\n
![\"Advertisers](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/advertisers-social-media-challenges-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n7. Consumers Want Better Customer Service<\/h3>\n
![\"2017](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/social-media-customer-service-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n8. Google\u2019s Geo-Targeted Local Ads Drive Foot Traffic<\/h3>\n
![\"2017](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/google-geotargeted-ads-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n9. Voice Search is on the Rise<\/h3>\n
![\"Voice](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/voice-search-stats-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n10. AI is Getting Smarter<\/h2>\n
![\"2017](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/amazon-echo-stats-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\n11. Mobile Device Time has Doubled in the USA<\/h3>\n
![\"2017](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/mobile-usage-2017-stats.jpg\")
<\/p>\n12. And That\u2019s a Wrap<\/h3>\n
![\"Bernadette](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/bernadette-coleman-mobile-tips-2017.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt\u2019s Time to Take Action<\/h2>\n
![\"Local](\"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/images\/local-presence-reseller-ad.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"