The Reasons Why it is Inevitable that Traditional Local Search Resources will Lose Market Share Both Online and Offline to Google Local Search
In the previous articles we’ve established that the trend to finding something is to move away from the traditional local advertising media such as Yellow Pages™ directory to the online Yellow Pages™ because it is easier and quicker to find a service provider. However the quality and depth of online Yellow Pages™ results is still somewhat lacking when it comes down to Local Search… and this is true also but to a lesser extent for Google search as well.
If you did a search for “luggage Bedfordview” using online Yellow Pages™ in February you would have seen 5 results. The top 4 were not based in Bedfordview and were wholesalers and manufacturers. Number 5 was a luggage store in Eastgate and it was pushed to the bottom of the page.
Thus only 1 of the 5 met my intention which was to find a retailer of luggage in Bedfordview. The advertisers have of course paid Yellow Pages™ to appear inside the directory.
The same search was done using Google South Africa search and this was the result of the search:
The search for “luggage Bedfordview” using Google did not provide a
direct link to any luggage supplier in Bedfordview but the first listing
did indicate quite well that if the result was clicked that I would
probably see luggage listings for Eastgate shopping centre. Notice that
there are no advertisers at all for this search (ie no paid results
shown... what an opportunity!!!).
When the number 1 listing on the Google search results page (SERP) was clicked I was presented with the basic information I was looking for. I was provided with a choice of 5 stores… 4 in Eastgate shopping mall and a single store in the Bedford Centre shopping mall in Bedfordview. I was also immediately provided with the location and telephone number.
Taking a look back at the Yellow Pages™ listing it would be noticed a further click is required to access contact information.
The results from clicking the number 1 Google search for “luggage Bedfordview” shows the 4 retailers in Eastgate and the one retailer in Bedford Centre.
As a searcher for luggage in Bedfordview I would be far more interested in the Google results although I had to do a search and make a second click to get to the information I required.
This example is a very simple one and is shown to illustrate a number of marketing opportunities and to point out the failure of both the Yellow Pages™ and, in this case, Google search in providing the searcher with immediate and relevant results.
As the Internet is showing in virtually every sphere the pay to be included model(most traditional advertising media) is not providing the results a modern searcher needs. There is nothing wrong with paying for a placement in any media. What’s important however is to be aware of the results of such advertising in quantifiable terms. Most types of media fail to provide the advertiser with meaningful referral data... and this is a major omission Google is exploiting fully and that's the main cause of the decline in adspend in traditional media. This decline will continue... it's inevitable.