Shop Local Retailers Rank on Page 1 of Google in 60% of States
NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 15, 2024 – Shop Local, an e-commerce platform, reported that it's helping indie stores rank on page one of Google in 60% of states for wedding gift purchases. The findings are based on a recent study that Shop Local conducted regarding wedding registry purchasing.
Study Findings:
For 30 state searches, Shop Local Stores appeared on page one of Google. This represents 63% of all states. When just calculating the states in which Shop Local has clients (48), the percentage grows to 63%.
In Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, five Shop Local Stores earned a page one spot.
In two states, Shop Local Stores won four first-page placements: Mississippi and Pennsylvania.
In many searches, stores using Shop Local software are ranking higher than big-box stores such as Walmart and Target.
Shop Local has a higher quantity of clients appearing on page one Google results than any other software provider.
How the Study Was Conducted:
Shop Local Googled "wedding registry" and the state’s name.
Shop Local researched results for 48 states. (Shop Local has clients in 48 states; in two states, Shop Local doesn’t have clients: Alaska and New Mexico.)
Search Results:
State / Number of Shop Local Stores on Page 1 of Google:
Shop Local Stores Beat Big-box Stores:
In many state results, Shop Local stores ranked on page 1 of Google ahead of national chains and other registry services, which often have larger customer bases and bigger website budgets.
Examples:
In Alabama results, five Shop Local stores beat Walmart, Target, MyRegistry.com, and Shopify gift registry apps.
In Georgia, two out of five Shop Local stores beat Target. All five Shop Local stores beat Walmart, MyRegistry.com, and Shopify gift registry apps.
In South Carolina, four out of five Shop Local stores beat Target. All five Shop Local stores beat Walmart, MyRegistry.com, and Shopify gift registry apps.
What Can One Learn From This Study?
By using Shop Local's software, indie stores have the best chance of ranking highly in Google. Their store will be found by more customers.
A Few Common Questions: How does Shop Local get its clients to rank so highly in Google?
Shop Local uses a variety of strategies to increase a store's Google ranking, from properly coding a page to increasing the number of backlinks pointing at the client's site.
Do Shop Local retailers pay extra for the high Google ranking?
No, stores do not pay extra for their page one page Google ranking. Shop Local provides free tools and features that help make it possible.
Why does ranking highly in Google matter?
Many shoppers start their purchasing on Google. When one can rank well in Google, it increases the likelihood the store will receive the sale.
Why does an indie store beating a big-box store in Google matter?
An indie store often lacks the advantage of having many locations like a big box store, and it lacks access to capital like a VC-backed entity. When Shop Local helps a small indie outrank bigger competitors, that shows the outsize value we're providing to our clients. We're helping modest Main Street stores beat out companies with 100 locations (e.g. Target, Macy's) and $100m in funding (Zola).