New Article - Yellow Pages Introduces Local Search Guide

[thejenn]

Full Text: http://www.searchengineguide.com/laycock/003589.html

Some Snippets:

"In response to the growing interest in local search, the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) introduced a new column this month called "Viewpoints" that features commentary and articles relating to the growth and development of the local search market."

"It's not just the Yellow Pages or the brick and mortar stores of the world that need to rethink how they do business now that we've entered the age of the Internet."

"With search marketing so heavily focused on placing products in front of parties when they are interested (as opposed to when they are reading the newspaper, driving or watching their favorite shows) the new medium of search and contextual advertising will provide ever expanding opportunities for companies to market their products."

--

How are you taking advantage of local search when it comes to marketing your products? Are you using things like Craig's list or City Search? Are you using geotargeting on any PPC engines?

How about as a consumer...I've yet to get in the habit of using any of the actual local search tools, even though I've played with them and find them to be handy...maybe you just can't teach an old Jen new tricks... What about you? Any local search tools that you actually use on a regular basis?

[Localmn]

I enjoy the Viewpoints articles and the whole Local Search Guide site. It's a decent and objective guide to what local programs search engines and IYPs have, what they do, what partners they have, etc...

I still usually go to Google or Yahoo to find something local. It's interesting to see the results because quite often you'll find pages from Citysearch or a Yellow Pages site come up toward the top. I use other sites and the G and Y local tabs sometimes, but not nearly as much. I should get into that habit.

I've dabbled with CitySearch and really like them for businesses like restaurants, bars and hotels. They'll usually write up a review for these types. If so, (I believe) they eat the cost of your click. According to an email I got, you can ask for them to write a review for any business, but they offer no guarantees and are really selective.

I'm really interested in both the ShopLocal and StepUp sites, although haven't had a reason to use them. Anyone e-commerce folks have any input on them?

Paul

[IYPUpdates]

I've noticed many of the major sites are now offering local search and/or yellow pages solutions on their home page. Search Engines results are displaying Internet Yellow Pages (IYP's) as a search solution. Sometimes multiple Yellow Pages and Local Search guide results are available.

One of the advantages to most of the IYP's and Local Search sites is that the basic listings are free of charge. It doesn't take long to go thru the major IYP's and make sure your business is listed correctly. This is especially true if it is a new company or has recently moved locations.

Take a look at some of the top sites today:
MSN.com (Verizon's SuperPages.com)
Yahoo.com (Yellow Pages & Local Search)
Google.com (Local Search (beta))
AOL.com (AOL Yellow Pages)
Lycos.com (Verizon's SuperPages.com)
and 1000's of newspaper site which use IYP's such as the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune (SwitchBoard.com)

Sometimes ensuring your business is listed correctly will get you top or near top without paying for clicks or sponsored ad.

[AustinWalters]

Local Search is growing, but still has no solution to empower local SME to a self serve, easy to use, system posting and editing in real time.

To allow SME's to list in every Brick and Morter location they are in, no matter how many locations they have for a single monthly subscription fee, will not only give the local residence of the selected neighborhood complete content of SME's, but will be affordable for the SME's to compete.

Residence can select from a single zip code to multiple zips or counties or even states for information linking SME's web site.