Google is sharing some new research on local search from Ipsos MediaCT and Purchased, which the search giant commissioned in order to get a better grasp on consumers’ local search behavior.

The research looks at over 5,000 people, who completed an online survey or logged their smartphone search and in-store activities in a mobile diary.

“Here’s what we learned,” says Bao Lam, Performance Ads Product Marketing Manager at Google. “People expect search ads to be relevant to their context and location. If they search for ‘car rental’ or ‘Mexican restaurant,’ they prefer ads that are customized to where they happen to be and that help them take the next steps in their shopping journey.”

76% of participants said they search for local info using a computer or tablet from home, with 24% saying they do so from work, and 18% saying they do from hotels or motels. For smartphones, the numbers are: 53% from home, 51% on the go, and 41% from stores and malls.

“More than 60% of consumers say they’ve used ads with location information like address, directions, phone number or a click-to-call button,” says Lam. “And, more than 70% of consumers who have used location information in ads say that information is important. Consumers choose stores close to where they happen to be. 72% of consumers who searched for local information on their smartphone visited a store within 5 miles.”

You can find the full report here.

Image via Google