subject: Tale of the Tape: Local Search Marketing and Yellow Pages [print this page] Tale of the Tape: Local Search Marketing and Yellow Pages
If you're a local business owner, then it's impossible that you don't know about yellow pages. For years, this platform has become a staple and maybe even the main marketing platform for most local businesses. But with the extreme use of search engines today, it seems that Yellow pages are starting to lose its luster and it's prominence in the local marketing scene.
Is this abrupt change justified? Or is it true that local businesses are better off sticking with the old marketing ways? Let's take a closer look between the two on some basic but important aspects.
Costs -Yellow pages subscription come really cheap while local search results subscriptions could come for free or paid. Overall though, if you opt to get paid search result subscriptions, there is really no significant difference in the costs.
So in this aspect, we could say that it's a draw.
Services - In terms of services, paid local search subscriptions have a big plus compared to yellow pages subscriptions. While yellow pages only include telephone numbers and address of the business, its results provide browsers contact numbers, address and excellent directions to the shop. Providing concise directions is great specially when prospective clients aren't familiar with the location.
In short, in terms of services offered, local search marketing wins.
Accessibility - In terms of accessibility, we could have a huge debate about this. What's more accessible, is it the books or the World Wide Web? Well most people think that the books get a huge plus in this aspect. However, if you ask me it's a lot easier if you access the internet.
Yellow pages are sold to get the local information that you need. Whereas locally search results are given for free to anyone who uses them. Though we have to admit that we have to pay for an internet connection, it's also undeniable that it has more usable functions compared to yellow pages.
Summary- As a summary of what we've discussed above, it clearly shows that local search marketing wins in both important aspects. Obviously, we get more value out of our money if we invest in local search marketing.
