"Near me" Searches Are On The Rise
May 20, 2015
In the past 3 years, the words like "near me", "closest," and "nearby" are increasing across billions of queries on Google every month. With mobile devices used more than ever for searching and shopping online, finding a retailer or service shop in your vicinity like a coffee shop, plumber, auto repair shop or hotel, just makes sense.
Google searches for "near me" and similar keyword phrases have increased 34 times since 2011 and nearly doubled since last year. Around 80 percent in Q4 2014 from mobile devices.
Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/features/i-want-to-go-micro-moments.html