Google’s Impact in Cardiff 2020

Key Facts

In 2020, Google’s core search and advertising tools helped support an estimated £324 million in economic activity for over 2,900 businesses in Cardiff.

Over 1,300 businesses have started selling online for the first time as a result of the pandemic.

72% of Cardiff residents under 30 have used Google Search to look for a job in the last year.

By helping them find information faster and collaborate easier, Google Search and Google Workspace are saving Cardiff workers an estimated 5 million hours a year.

Since the start of the pandemic, two thirds of Cardiff residents have used Google Search to find out if local shops or businesses are open.

Introduction

In 2020, the Internet was more important than ever: keeping us connected and informed, entertained and productive. From checking whether your local shop was open to keeping up to date with changing lockdown rules, or trying out a new fitness video to discussing work plans with colleagues, we turned to Google services to keep us going.

In this short report, Google commissioned us to quantify how their products helped British workers, businesses, content creators, and families in Cardiff throughout 2020.

In total, by making it easier for them to connect with customers, we estimate that Google’s core search and advertising tools helped provide an estimated £324 million in economic activity in 2020 for 2,900 businesses in Cardiff.

Economic activity supported by Google in Cardiff by Parliamentary constituency (£ mn)

What is your favourite Google product?¹

Google Maps. Easy to search, easy to use, easy to plan on.

Woman, 33

Google Search engine because I always get the best results I'm looking for first time. You get much better results using Google search than other products.

Man, 44

Gmail is my favourite product. It is easy to use, reliable and free and is great for professional use. It also has great features to make your life easier.

Woman, 36

Google Search engine. Because it is almost essential for my daily internet experience.

Woman, 25

Google Search allows me to have information available in an instant.

Woman, 45

Helping Workers Get Things Done

Workers in Cardiff agreed that online tools had helped keep them productive:

54%

of Cardiff workers say their job would be impossible or difficult without access to an online office suite

73%

of Cardiff workers believe that they were as or more productive doing their job now, as compared to the time before Covid-19

When we asked how hard their job would be to do without access to core online services:

55%

of Cardiff workers say their job would be impossible or difficult without access to a search engine

47%

of Cardiff workers say their job would be impossible or difficult without access to video chat

50%

of Cardiff workers say they have used Google Search multiple times a day for their job

A 2015 Forrester Consulting study estimated that the deployment of Google Workspace, including tools like Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, Docs, Sheets and Slides had the potential to save employees between 15 minutes to two hours per week at work, in more efficient collaboration. ²

Based upon this, and other research on the time saved by Google Search, we estimate that in a given year, Google services could be saving workers in Cardiff around 5 million hours. That is the equivalent of producing a £232 million improvement in productivity for the British economy.³

Helping businesses adapt during lockdown

With Covid-19 forcing many physical stores to have to repeatedly shut, online sales and advertising became ever more important in 2020. Independent estimates suggest that the share of online retail increased from 19% to 30% as a result of the pandemic.⁴

Based upon our business survey, we estimate that:

1300

Around 1,300 Cardiff businesses have started selling online for the first time as a result of the pandemic

800

Around 800 Cardiff businesses have started advertising online for the first time

900

Around 900 Cardiff businesses have started taking online payments for the first time

At the same time, tools like Google Search, Google Maps and Google My Business helped keep Cardiff residents connected with their local shops, and up to date with who was open. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic:

67%

of Cardiff residents have used Google Search and 37% Google Maps to find out if local shops or businesses are open

35%

of Cardiff residents have use Google Maps to check for changed opening hours for local businesses

Other recent polling by Censuswide has found that over two thirds of small businesses in Cardiff plan to expand either nationally or internationally in 2022. Of those businesses expanding for the first time, 30% say that increased uptake of digital following lockdown is a factor in their decision to expand, and 29% the opportunities created by digital platforms.

By helping businesses shift to online sales for the first time during 2020, we estimate that Google helped support £34 million in economic activity.

In our wider business poll of Wales, we found that:

62%

of businesses said that online search was an important way that customers found their business, second only behind word of mouth.

35%

of businesses said that Google Docs / Workspace were useful or important in helping their business adapt to remote work

46%

of businesses said that they had used Google Search to keep up to date with the latest government advice

36%

of businesses said they are likely to continue selling their products or services online after the economy and society return to normal

Helping Families in Everyday Life

Throughout 2020, Britons turned to Google services to help keep them informed, up to date, and safe. Google Search was one of the most important platforms through which Britons kept up to date with official advice and adapt to live during the pandemic:

67%

of Cardiff residents have used Google Search to keep up to date with the latest government advice

72%

of Cardiff residents under 30 have used Google Search to look for a job in the last year

32%

of Cardiff residents have used Google Maps to plan a walk or other outdoor leisure activity since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic

48%

of Cardiff Android users downloaded the NHS Covid-19 app

62%

of Cardiff residents under 30 have used YouTube to watch fitness videos

In our polling, we found that Google products are now essential household tools - helping us around the home, learn new skills and keep learning:

41%

of Cardiff Google Search users have used it in the last month to learn a new skill

40%

of Cardiff YouTube users have used it in the last month to get help with cooking and 47% to get help with DIY tasks

29%

of Cardiff Google Maps users have used it in the last month to look for something new to try

Google’s model, free at the point of use, makes it possible for everyone, no matter their background, to benefit from the power of digital search and online information. This information can be incredibly valuable. The consumer surplus of a product looks at how much it is worth to a user - in other words, how much you would have to compensate somebody for them to voluntarily give it up.

In 2020, we estimate that Google’s core services are creating a consumer surplus worth a median of £45 per person per month in Cardiff.

Case Study: She Moves

She Moves is a female run removal company based in South Wales, founded by Donna Evans in 2017. They offer an alternative to the traditional ‘man with van’ service for both domestic and commercial moves, employing an all-female team to carry out jobs across the United Kingdom.

Before starting She Moves, Donna was employed in a logistics role at another firm where she was paying weekly rental fees to hire a van. She started offering simple, single-item removals on her days off to cover her rental costs, and the idea for She Moves was born. After doing some research into the removals industry, Donna decided to make a move of her own.

“I’ve always wanted to work in a trade, and I just thought ‘why not’,” explains Donna. “After completing some smaller jobs, I had the confidence to start doing full house moves. I’m strong, and I’ve always been a hands-on girl so there’s no reason why a woman couldn’t do this job. Once I had the idea for a female-only company, I just ran with it.”

Since launch, She Moves has enjoyed steady growth since then, even in spite of the COVID pandemic, but success hasn’t been without its obstacles. As a new entrant to a competitive industry, one of the early challenges Donna faced was being perceived as a legitimate business. “There are some cowboys out there that try and pretend they know what they're doing, and they can mess jobs up” explains Donna. “As a new removals company, it’s critical to establish trust early on.”

After completing a few jobs and receiving nothing but positive feedback, Donna was looking for a place where her customers could share their experience with her business, and help her put it on the map. Crucially, she needed a place where her positive reviews could be seen by more customers, so she turned to Google My Business.

Donna manages every facet of the business – from marketing and the admin to actually performing the work – so knowing her Google My Business profile is always on has been a big benefit.

As a female-only company, it was a logical step for She Moves to add the ‘Women-led’ icon to their profile, which Donna says has helped promote She Moves’ unique selling point. “I think customers think we’re going to be more delicate with their belongings!” jokes Donna. “We found that a lot of customers feel more comfortable with our female-only team, but honestly most customers don't care – they go by our reputation.”

Establishing and promoting that hard-earned reputation has been a clear objective for Donna, and she used her Google My Business profile to help translate the positive local sentiment into positive online reviews. “Our customers often praise our work and our professionalism,” says Donna. “We needed a way for that positivity to be visible online, and getting reviews on our Google My Business listing has been a great way to do that.” Donna says it’s helped convert more leads into customers, too: “Potential customers still want to look us up to see our website and our reviews – that’s where Google My Business has been invaluable”

Since 2017, She Moves has grown from a one person and one van operation to a company of eight employees and four vans. She Moves’ Business Profile boasts a number of 5-star reviews from happy customers, which Donna describes as a ‘seal of approval’.

“Being an all-female company in a male-dominated industry wasn't something that scared me.” says Donna. “People choose who they want to have around them, and Google My Business has helped those customers find us.” In fact, She Moves’ Google My Business profile has received over 50% more views compared to last year, with the number of potential customers either calling directly or visiting the website increasing by 15%.

This positive sentiment has resonated throughout the She Moves brand. The company’s growing fleet of vans are wrapped in She Moves’ branding and act as “moving billboards”, as Donna puts it. “People will often see our vans and ask us about the business, but the reality is we can't be everywhere at all times”, Donna explains. “Our Google My Business profile is one of the main places people find us, with over 40% of our leads coming directly through there from Google Search. The other 60% are word of mouth, and most of them will have visited our Google My Business profile before getting in touch.”

Donna believes Google My Business also helped establish the company locally – and that this has been a critical part of She Moves’ success: “More and more customers say they would rather use a smaller, local business than one of the bigger firms. Some people will say: ‘I put in ‘local services’, and that’s how they found you”. Armed with this insight, Donna plans to use Google Local Services to help drive further business growth. “If it wasn’t for us being on Google, we wouldn’t be as known as we are. We’re looking forward to becoming even more established locally”.

Whether working locally or further afield, there’s no denying that She Moves is heading in the right direction.

“Our Google My Business profile is one of the main places people find us, with over 40% of our leads coming directly through there. The other 60% are word of mouth, and most of them will have visited our Google My Business profile before getting in touch.”

DONNA EVANS, FOUNDER AND BUSINESS OWNER, SHE MOVES

How we quantified Google’s impact in Cardiff

In this paper, we used a range of different methods to quantify the economic impact and helpfulness of Google Search, YouTube, Android and other Google products:

Building on the precedent of previous Google impact reports from markets including the UK, the United States, and Europe, we used traditional economic modelling built upon third-party estimates of Google market size in the UK, and standard returns on investment (ROI) to measure the economic activity driven by Google’s core products.
Working with independent providers Dynata and Kantar, we conducted extensive polling of a representative sample of over 5,000 individuals representing every region in the UK.
As part of this, we ran a decided poll of 400 adults in Cardiff, weighting this by age and gender.
At the same time, we polled 1,000 senior business leaders from small, medium and large businesses, representing a range of different industries across the UK.

All polling numbers in this report are taken directly from our Cardiff poll, which in turn has been used to produce estimates of the consumer surplus and business productivity impact created by Google products in Cardiff.

In order to estimate the business benefits and economic impact of Google in Cardiff, we apportioned out our national estimate based upon:

Cardiff’s business demography, taken from ONS data
Relative use of Google advertising services by business size
Relative use of Google advertising services in Wales

To learn more about our modelling approach, please see the Methodology section in the national report’s appendix.

Public First is a member of the Market Research Society. The full tables for all the data used in this report is available to download from our website.

While Google commissioned this report from Public First, all economic estimates are derived from official, third party and Public First’s proprietary information.

Answers have been edited for clarity and grammar but are otherwise unchanged.
The Total Economic Impact of Google Apps for Work, Forrester Consulting, 2015
Public First estimate built upon Forrester Consulting (2015) and Varian (2011).
ONS