Local Search Behavior

So, while the definition of “local” is decidedly inexact, we can infer that roughly 10-20% of queries on search engines are local, depending on how strict your definition is. And based on my analysis, approximately a third of those are related to business/commercial interest.

If you know of any other good data sources for this metric, please comment below!

…they should be cast in stone.

From the lobby of 555 17th Street, Denver. Anyone have a grinder to lend?

NTT Docomo announced the release of augmented reality glasses at CEATEC last week. The glasses put augmented reality applications directly in the wearer’s line of vision. In other high-tech news, software company Viewdle is working on a face recognition application that identifies people real-time, directly from a user’s phone. Facial recognition software is nothing new, but the ability to match faces real-time from anywhere is a leap forward with many possibilities. Combined with the ability to overlay augmented reality information with old-fashioned eyeball vision, and the possibilities are scary/cool.

Cool is the fact that you could often answer the nagging question “how do I know that person?” Not only that, but you could see where someone works, how many Facebook friends they have, … ok, that’s starting to get scary.

Also cool is the idea that you could trace indirect relationships to people you encounter anywhere you go. If I am separated by 6 degrees from some dude in Siberia, how far can I possibly be from the people sitting around me on the bus right now?  That’s scary if people don’t have control over their own anonymity, but cool if they do. I’ve often wondered how many missed connections there are as we putter about our days. My wife and I discovered that our moms had gone to the same high school only after we started dating, and we grew up a thousand miles apart. Anecdotally, it seems like when I take the time to figure it out, I find I have some point of connection with almost everyone I meet. The world gets a lot smaller if we know what those connections are. The feeling of difference contributes to the many horrible things humans do to each other, surely knowing how we are connected makes us more civil. In balance: cool.

But I’ve got to put a big check mark in the scary column for the fact that Best Buy is one of the primary backers of Viewdle. Methinks they aren’t looking to make new friends.

This is a complete ripoff of the brilliant Mapping Stereotypes, by Yanko Tsvetkov. I am a map fetishist, but I do sometimes think that maps fall short of capturing how we feel about a landscape. Tsvetkov has tackled that issue head on. So here’s my take on Denver metro, as seen from Boulder.

Note: there’s been some confusion regarding the region marked “Camazotz”, which approximately covers Thornton and Northglenn. So here you are: A Wrinkle in Time – Wikipedia

Once proclaimed a “palace for the people,” the Boston Public Library is struggling to stay relevant in a world where most of us can access a wealth of information directly from our phones. My sentimental feelings for libraries aside, there is a big difference between an information resource owned by us, the people, and the Internet search engine, which is a for-profit information resource owned by billionaires. I shed a tear for you, BPL.

The Palace for the People

A concise overview of how technology trends will change the way we shop from the National Retail Federation, and a hat-tip to the brilliant Socialnomics and Did You Know? videos. The macro trend is that our options will be pushed out to us, rather than waiting for us to search.

eMarketer reported that in-car internet access will increase by over 6,000% in the next six years. And their report only covers cars with built-in access. If we include dash mounts for mobile devices, that number is sure to be much larger. This makes me think about a couple of things:

1. I have tended to think of location-based services (LBS) in terms of foot traffic. With that limited view, marketing opportunities are centered around impulse purchases, things I can eat or drink and nothing too big or heavy to carry. LBS + car changes the game completely. When I’m in my car, I can cover more distance and carry more things. If it’s a weekend I may also have plenty of time for diversions. I’ve also tended to think of LBS in a vacuum. E.g. the only thing my device knows is where I am. But imagine if I’m in my car and inevitably logged in to my Google account to check email or something. Google knows that I was researching patio furniture recently – talk about a location-based advertising opportunity that’s valuable to both me and local outdoor furniture retailers!
2. As an intrepid bike commuter, I already have to compete with cell phones for drivers’ attention. There’s nothing for it, I’m just going to have to take bicycle safety to the next level:

I’ve been blogging for a while at TwoOctobers.com/blog, my business blog. There we tend to write about tips and techniques for local business marketing.

That’s cool, but I also want a place to talk about ideas and trends that relate to my interest in how we find things and how we make decisions. So here it is.