Local Search information (US stuff)

Just read a page from the 5/9 edition of Forbes Magazine (the hard copy- don't have web reference for the page)

A quick summary;

In 2004 advertisers spent $14.6 billion on Yellow pages and $670 million on local digital ads (directories, search, wireless)

One expert predicts that in 2009 print advertising will be the same and local search will be $5 billion

Google cited that more searchers used local search in the holiday season than froogle.

The article mentioned google, yahoo, and AOL efforts in local search and referenced many others.

Here is our current experience. We are easily accessable in G and Y local. Not yet in Jeeves (who cares) not sure about MSN. We are in the local web version of local yellow pages. We are highly optimized for all local searches in all the engines.

Our experience to date. We are highly optimized for all types of searches in our region(s). Come up 1st page (usually #1 for all local variations on searches for most phrases) Phrases like blue widgets Washington DC; widgets that are blue DC, etc.

We currently get about 10 times(maybe 20-30) as much traffic from local searches than all the other forms of local search referenced above. If I recalculate and really add in the traffic from 1 topical/local directory that might change the percentage.

For the time being I wouldn't put much credence into paying or pursuing all the new services etc. for local. Its all to be tested/developed over time. If some killer application wins on Local search it will take time as all the different players fight for viewership. Maybe someone will be like yellow pages in local search - who knows but it will take some years.

Meanwhile just optimize with local phrases for the appropriate keywords.

Dave

This doesn't seem to be of interest to many but it is relevant to me.

Did follow up research over a 5 month period. Looked at the top 500 most often used search phrases from Google.

Of interest, Searchers found our site almost 30 times more using a local phrase and our service than by using local google.

(We were hit about the same # of times from local yellow pages on the web as with google.) Suspect that local advertising services have a long way to go before they match basic search.

Dave