Lynn Jebbia is a Senior Project Manager at ArteWorks SEO, search engine marketing company. Her focus is SEO Strategy, Keyword Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Web Site Audits, Pay Per Click Management and Client Account Management.
Search engines have become the first choice used for local search plus getting listed on Google and Yahoo for local search is free. TMP Directional Marketing (TMPDM) recently released the results of their 2nd annual<a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=” http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Tmp-Directional-Marketing-908381.html?source=blog08-10-27> Local Search Usage Study</a>. For the first time, according to the study, the first source used for local search are Search Engines with 31% of users but right behind it at 30% are the print Yellow Pages or White Pages. Last year’s study ranked print yellow pages first with 33% of users followed by Search Engines at 30% of users. The number of people using local search over the yellow pages will continue to increase. To me, it should increase for no other reason than to save trees. It’s ridiculous, particularly in large cities with huge directories, the number of trees that are cut to produce the paper for these directories.
Eighty six per cent of respondents said they have a print directory in their home. I must admit it is hard to imagine not having the yellow pages isn’t it? I have one right behind my computer monitor but I still go to local search on Google first. Habit or laziness call it what you will but I usually only resort to the print yellow pages when I can’t find it online.
For small businesses continuing to advertise in the yellow pages is a big decision. It is very expensive and doesn’t provide the metrics that online advertising provides to determine if it is working. It makes it really important to track calls to see how people are finding your business. Doing this can help you best determine your advertising choices next year.
All businesses with a local presence should put their listing in Google Local Business Center and Yahoo! Local. They can really generate a lot of leads for your business free of charge. The Google Local Business Center allows you to list your business on Google local/Google maps for free. Google Local also pulls results from Verizon Superpages and other trusted sources. If you are a service business working from home you can use a P.O. Box located at the center of the area you want to market to for your listing. You can also use Google Adwords to buy local ads on Google Maps. <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=” http://listings.local.yahoo.com/ “>Yahoo! Local</a> offers basic listings that are free. You need a physical address to list your business in Yahoo! Local however.
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