Understanding how customers are searching for pet vendors and products.

Want to be the top dog in the online pet world? This blog unlocks the secrets of seasonal search trends, reveals hot zones for demand, and delivers the strategies to optimize your profiles and rule the local ad game across Google, Bing, and Apple.

Pet vendor search trends

Pet vendor search terms and keywords

In today's digital age, pet owners are increasingly turning to the internet to find products and services for their furry companions. Here are some of the most popular pet-related search trends observed online:

• Pet nutrition: With a growing awareness of pet health and wellness, pet owners are searching for high-quality pet nutrition products. Keywords like "best pet food brands" and "healthy pet diet" have seen a steady increase in search volume over the past five years.
• Pet grooming: As pet owners seek to keep their furry friends looking and feeling their best, searches for “pet grooming" and "best pet grooming near me" have seen a notable uptick. The demand for grooming salons and mobile grooming services is on the rise.
• Pet adoption: The trend of adopting pets from shelters and rescue organizations has gained momentum. Online searches for "rescue cat near me" and "animal rescue near me" have shown consistent growth, reflecting the desire of many to provide loving homes for animals.
• Pet boarding: Pet owners prioritize finding an excellent place for their fur babies to stay when they are on vacation. When they don’t know anyone, searching online for a well-reviewed spot to board their pets is their best bet.
• DIY pet care: In line with the broader DIY trend, pet owners are exploring ways to provide homemade solutions for their pets. Searches for "DIY pet toys" and "homemade pet treats" have surged as pet owners look for creative ways to enhance their pets' lives.

Pet vendor search volume and seasonality

Similar to beauty trends, pet-related search terms also exhibit seasonality. For instance, the search term "flea prevention for pets" sees a spike in search volume during the spring and summer months when fleas are most active. Understanding these seasonal patterns can help pet businesses optimize their marketing strategies.

Flea prevention for dogs search volume has been consistent but is seasonal.

Pet vendor search regionality

The popularity of pet-related searches varies by region. States with the highest search volume for "pet services near me" include Florida, Michigan, Arizona, Virginia, and Ohio. These states boast significant pet-loving populations and a thriving pet service industry, making them hotspots for online pet-related searches.

Next steps 

Taking action on pet vendor search terms: local listings

Retailers and service providers for pets can take advantage of these trends by using them to optimize their local listings. 

• Google Business Profiles: GBPs are a great place to incorporate the terms consumers seek. GBP attributes like owner descriptions, posts, reviews, Q&As, service descriptions, and more should be optimized with key terms.
• Apple Business Connect:  Apple Business Connect is the new player in town, but it brings a high-income audience. Attract upscale customers with Apple Business Connect. Better control how your business shows up on Apple Maps and CarPlay. 
• Bing Places: While Bing Places is less well known as Google Business Profiles, it is still critical that pet retailers account for them.

Taking action on pet vendor search terms: local ads

Now that we know what pet customers are searching for, here are some options to take advantage of to increase visibility and drive online sales and foot traffic. 

• Google Performance Max: Google's new multichannel ad campaigns can be optimized with the terms and seasonality reelected in this analysis. Reach pet owners across Google Search, YouTube, Gmail and more.
• Google Local Inventory Ads: Google LIAs are mandatory for retailers.
• Google Local Service Ads: Google LSAs are necessary for pet service providers.
• Microsoft Local Inventory Ads: Microsoft LIAs are often overlooked but provide the same LIA experience as Google, just to a different audience.
• Microsoft Local Service Ads: Microsoft LSAs are another service often underestimated but can offer a new audience to help promote your pet service, just like Google.

dbaPlatform has been helping pet retailers and service providers win with local searches for six years. Please reach out below to see how we can help.