Estimating Local Search Volume – Method and Questions

[phersh]

This post is deleted!

[Dekoda_Jones]

Hey Phil,

This is an interesting way of measuring local traffic, whilst it seems plausible you are adding in a lot of assumptions (click through rates) which are going to vary widely.  If you want to test it, what I would do is choose one single keyword, write a good SEM ad and commit a single days budget (with a very high cpc set), then compare the impressions to the theory above.

let me know how it goes.

For a less scientific approach, here in Australia we have 7 states or variable size and population density.  To advertise here in Victoria I just take the local search volume and divide by 4.5.  Obviously it's not just a guide, but I don't really need to know more than that level to make smart decisions as long as all my numbers are treated by the same logic, then it's all relative.

[JamesNorquay]

A decent post on estimating the CTR of Local listings can be found here, yet you need to remember specific terms may have far more local intent then other terms. For example "Mobile Phone Sydney" may never get the same CTR as "Best Pizza Sydney"

A great example of CTR comparisons can be found here:

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/mission-imposserpble-establishing-clickthrough-rates Also to see the shift in CTR data based on local terms check out this eye tracking study:

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/eyetracking-google-serps

I hope this additional information helps you with your research.

Kind Regards,

James.

[phersh]

James and Joshua,

Thank you. I read the pages James refered to. The information is useful but they don't refer to the CTR for Adwords for a given position.

Phil