Yearning for Local Search

Posted on | August 21, 2008 |

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One of the biggest movers in search this past month was CitySquares.com which indicates that people really want more from local search which is getting pretty interesting. With so many of our clients strictly targeting the local marketplace, many have been having problems gaining traction online and services like Superpages.com and Yellowpages.com don’t come cheap…having to scramble a little to fill the void of their print directories. They are trying, believe me, I get hounded with new ideas and initiatives from PPC management and free print listings to 2 for 1 deals. According to Alexa, and Quantcast and compete and whatever other tool you want to use to figure out traffice numbers, these sites are holding fairly steady despite massive advertising initiatives for some.

So it’s interesting to see that another player to join the fray has blown up in popularity, particularly as it currently only serves New England and Manhattan. I think the key here is that it’s more than just listings and reviews. It’s news, events, suggestions all centered around your zip code. Called hyper-local, this is a model that actually might have an impact on local search. More like facebook and less like a directory. Keep an eye on this space.