SEO software company Moz is out with a new study, “The State of Local SEO,” indicating that conversions and revenue are top priorities for marketers and agencies.

Whether it’s through local service ads or Google Ads, 69% of respondents indicated that their companies are paying Google for advertising.

With a lack of serious competition for Google, local search marketers are broadening their use of alternative platforms like loyalty programs and word-of-mouth, per the report.

Email marketing has one of the highest returns on investment for marketers, with 59% saying they regularly conduct this type of marketing.

Two in three respondents (64%) acknowledge that local search results on Google act as their business’s “homepage,” and one in three find local rankings too complex to understand or control.

Only one in five in-house marketers are aware of Google’s The Knowledge Panel, which shows up on roughly 40% of searches and is especially prevalent in local search results.

One in four (25%) were not familiar with Google’s August search algorithm update, although among those who were aware of the revision, 46% say it did not impact their businesses. 

“As search engines work to be the one-stop shop for user needs, businesses need to move quickly to adopt local search best practices, or risk being left behind,” says Peter Meyers, marketing scientist, Moz. “As an industry, we need to do a better job sharing knowledge, resources and education with our peers.”

Moz surveyed more than 1,400 local marketers and agencies. More details from the report can be accessed here.