Before Google exploded in the early 2000’s and launched the Internet Age into its current era, the dominating force behind business marketing was Yellow Page advertising. Whenever Americans needed to find a business, whether it was a pizzeria, a dentist, or an electrician, they opened up their Yellow Pages, found a phone number, and made the call. Of course, things are markedly different today.
The Decline of the Yellow Pages with the Rise of the Web
According to Street Fight, an online magazine dedicated to local search engine optimization, users of the Yellow Pages dropped from 12 billion to 7.4 billion in the period between 2009 and 2011. Admittedly, the Yellow Pages advertisement industry fumbled a bit as it tried to adapt to digital methods of marketing that its web-based competitors were at the forefront of.
Since 2011, however, online Yellow Pages advertising has made great strides in usage, ROI, and overall effectiveness in web internet marketing. Especially if you’re a local business, taking advantage of online Yellow Pages advertising has never been a better idea. Here’s why.
Why Online Yellow Pages Advertising is a Great Idea
- Online Yellow Pages Advertising is Competitive
- Yellow Pages Remain the Resource for Emergencies
- Yellow Pages Advertising Firms Are Known for Local Marketing
There is a prevalent belief among companies that online Yellow Pages advertising is a waste of time. In short, some believe that popular search engines, like Google and Bing, completely outperform online Yellow Pages listings. However, as statistics from the Local Search Association show, 62% of American consumers have used the Yellow Pages in the last month. On the other hand, 67%, only 5% more, have used a search engine. Clearly, the Yellow Pages remain a popular way for consumers to find businesses.
In a story about the online Yellow Pages advertising industry, Bloomberg Businessweek writes that one of the main drivers behind the renewed success of the Yellow Pages is that when the worst happens, consumers still turn to traditional sources of information before turning to their mobile devices. For example, if a pipe bursts in the middle of the night, the majority of consumers will look for a local plumber in their phone-book’s Yellow Pages before hopping on to their mobile device to search Google.
As Search Engine Land correctly points out, one way in which online Yellow Pages advertising firms are able to out-compete their completely online competitors is with their relationships with small local businesses. Back when the Yellow Pages were the only name in the game, they established a rapport with local clients, and those clients came to trust them in turn. The lessons that Yellow Pages firms learned before the internet have carried over to online Yellow Pages advertising, putting them in a unique position to deliver killer local SEO for their clients.
While the Yellow Pages undeniably suffered a set back in popularity and utility in the early days of the internet, the fact is they have become one of the best ways to market online, while remaining a powerful medium for traditional advertisement. If you want to capture the attention of online consumers while continuing to gain the benefits of tradition, there is no better place to turn than online Yellow Pages advertising firms. This is a great source for more: commnetmarketing.com
