How Pride Impacts Your Business

This month, millions around the globe will celebrate Pride. In the U.S., June is National Gay Pride Month, with celebrations occurring in most major cities (New York City and San Francisco are particularly famous for their parties and parades). New York City will be even more festive than usual this year because 2019 marks the Stonewall Uprising's 50th anniversary, and because the city has been chosen to host WorldPride.

Inspired by the hype, we've conducted a study on how consumer search behavior changes during Pride. Here's what we found for Pride 2018.

New York City and San Francisco:

• Where's the Party? Event venues in San Francisco saw the largest increase in engagement the weekend of the Pride March — Google Direction Clicks increased by 156% compared to the weekends prior. In New York City, clubs and other nightlife venues saw an increase of 53% in Google Phone Calls and 107% in Google Direction Clicks on the weekend of the Pride March compared to the weekends prior.
• Let's Get Dinner. Restaurants in New York saw a year over year increase of 35% in Google Search Views, and a 112% increase in Google Website Clicks. Similarly, restaurants in San Francisco saw a year over year increase of 39% in Google Search Views, and a 96% increase in Google Website Clicks.
• How About a Drink? Google Phone Calls for bars and pubs in New York rose 132% week over week on the day of the Pride March. Liquor stores in New York also saw a boom in visibility and engagement during the Pride March weekend — Google Search Views and Google Direction Clicks were up 85% and 80%, respectively, compared to weekends prior.
• Stay the Weekend. Google Direction Clicks for hotels in New York rose 18% week over week on the day of the Pride March. Similarly, Google Direction Clicks for hotels in San Francisco rose 37% week over week on the Sunday of the Pride March.

Pride Celebrations Around the World:

• Chicago: Google Search Views for bars and pubs saw a huge spike of 141% on the weekend of the Pride March compared to the average for weekends preceding Pride. This was the same for Google Website Clicks and Google Direction Clicks, which were up by 530% and 163% respectively.
• London: Google Phone Call Clicks and Google Direction Clicks for bars and pubs soared the weekend of the Pride March compared to the average for weekends preceding Pride — they rose by 206% and 169%, respectively. The same was seen for Google Direction Clicks for clubs and other nightlife, which increased by 137%. Google Phone Call Clicks and Google Direction Clicks for hotels rose by 69% and 31% respectively on the weekend of the Pride March, compared to weekends prior.
• Madrid: Clubs and other nightlife venues saw the largest increase in engagement the weekend of the Pride March — Google Direction Clicks increased by 278% compared to weekends prior.
• Paris: Google Search Views for bars and pubs saw an increase of 26% on the weekend of the Pride March compared to the average for weekends preceding Pride. This was the same for Google Direction Clicks, which were up by 29%.

People often travel from far and wide to attend events like Pride. So if you're planning on hosting any special events or themed parties, make sure those local events actually show up in search when visitors are looking for things to do. Create a dedicated event page for every party, guest appearance, or activity you host (each with its own URL). Every page should contain all of the facts someone would need to attend the event — as well as all keywords you think they might use to find it. Also consider including photos that will set the mood and help you stand out.

Create a sense of community, all year.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are your customers all year round — not just during Pride. For some, it can be challenging to find inclusive environments to dine, shop, and socialize in the relative peace that many people take for granted. Something as simple as enabling the LGBTQ-friendly and Transgender Safe Space attributes on your Google My Business listing will let potential customers know they're welcome in your store, and that they can expect to be treated equally by your staff and fellow patrons.

Find out how Yext can help you manage these and other attributes on your Google My Business listing. Schedule a demo today.