“\Small Business Chronicles\” by Jack Brandt

I ran across this article this morning and thought it relevent to share with everyone regarding Local Search Optimization regarding Web Sites and Search: Big Oak SEO Blog.

So I had a thought… I do that sometimes. This was a local search thought. It was probably an amateur revelation at best but what if local search was set beyond the search engines and beyond the yellow pages (YP or IYP).

What if local search started thinking a little outside the box and started to take advantage of periodicals such as newspapers and / or magazines? In Northern New Jersey where I reside the local newspaper for the region is the Star Ledger. I occasionally read the paper. Sundays mostly, however during the week I go to their Web Site and look for information, news, and occasionally the classifieds for something. It also occurred to me that if I could not find what I was looking for there, it would have been nice to have the option to look for it via another tool employed by the newspaper to find whatever it is I was looking for in NNJ (Northern New Jersey).

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An overview of the directory and IYP business marketplace:
As it pertains to local search and advertiser content
by Jack Brandt

In an overview of the directory business, IYP, local search, and search, electronic directories seem to be an integrated part of the directory business. The stress is to keep both the print and on-line counterparts alive and profitable while satisfying the needs of the users and the advertisers both.

The concern specifically is content driven search. It drives Web Site sales, Pay per click sales, flat fee sales and more. While most users primarily use the Internet for search, both the directory and search provider are in a grey area of being recognized as both a competitor and a potential partner. For instance, the inference has been made about search being president or governor, and the directory service being the mayor. Where the president and governor have a broad view of their world the mayor knows much more about is small geographic, and they can work together for the interest of the people, in this case the user.

Studies by several YP and IYP groups show that the use of print directories is dipping only slightly while a local online search is growing at more rapid pace. There currently is no clear leader in the print vs. online bout; however there are opportunities for growth in both sides of the converging markets.

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