MONADNOCK REGION, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Every new customer your business gets ultimately comes from someone clicking, visiting, calling, or searching.

By the time someone searches for what you sell, they’re already interested.

Now they’re deciding.

Search Is No Longer the Beginning — It’s the Decision Point

Search used to be about gathering information.

It isn’t anymore.

Today, search is where people narrow options and decide who to contact, visit, or trust.

And right now, when people search, they overwhelmingly search on Google. That may change someday — but today, Google dominates how people find local businesses.

When someone searches, they’re not browsing.

They’re comparing.

What People Actually See When They Search

When someone searches on Google, they don’t see one clear answer.

They see:

  • Multiple local businesses
  • Similar promises
  • Competing messages

All at the same time.

From the customer’s point of view, everything looks one click away.

And here’s the part most businesses underestimate:

They are scanning fast.

They’re not reading paragraphs.
They’re not studying websites.
They’re scanning headlines and short descriptions, looking for the one that most closely matches why they searched in the first place.

Why Being on Page One Isn’t Enough

Many local businesses feel good when they see themselves on page one of Google.

But page one alone doesn’t win customers.

If your listing shows up with a generic message — or a headline that doesn’t clearly reflect what the person is looking for — you won’t get the click.

And without the click, you don’t get the call, the visit, or the customer.

Search rewards clarity and relevance, not just presence.

A Real-World Example Most Business Owners Recognize

I recently searched for “best heating oil prices near me.”

Several local businesses showed up on page one.

But here’s what stood out:

Most of them didn’t mention heating oil prices anywhere in what I could see.

A few did.

Guess where I clicked?

Not the business with the nicest logo.
Not the one with the longest history.

I clicked the result that matched exactly what I was looking for in that moment.

That’s how most people search — and choose.

The Costly Disconnect I See Every Day

This is where a lot of good businesses lose customers without realizing it.

They invest heavily in advertising that gets people interested — print, radio, social ads, billboards.

That advertising does its job.

It creates interest.
It gets people to want what they sell.

Then those interested people go online and search.

And that’s where the breakdown happens.

The business shows up — or sometimes doesn’t — but not with a message that matches why the person is searching.

So the customer clicks a competitor instead.

Your advertising worked…
and then handed the customer to someone else.

Why “Good Businesses” Lose This Moment

You can be great at what you do.

But if that isn’t clear during the search, it doesn’t help you.

People:

  • Scan quickly
  • Make fast judgments
  • Move on

Search is competitive by design. It doesn’t just help people find you — it forces a choice.

And the business that most clearly matches intent usually wins that click.

Why Showing Up Once Isn’t Enough

Most searches aren’t one-and-done.

People click.
They leave.
They compare.
They come back later and search again.

This is normal behavior now.

If you only show up once, you’re relying on luck.

Staying visible after that initial search is what reinforces confidence and turns interest into action.

This is where Get Found turns into Get Chosen.

The Bottom Line

Search is where interest turns into intent.

To win more decisions, your marketing needs to:

  • Create interest (Get Wanted)
  • Show up where people are searching with a message that matches why they’re searching (Get Found)
  • Stay present long enough to be chosen (Get Chosen)

A Simple Conversation If You’re Curious

If you’re wondering how your business actually shows up when people search — and whether your message matches what your potential customers are looking for — we can talk it through.

No sales pitch.
No pressure.

We may be able to help.
We may not be the right fit.
You’ll know pretty quickly either way.

You can reach me directly at:
rcable@monadnockmediagroup.com