It has long been predicted that the yellow pages will fall due to overwhelming competition from Internet alternatives. Searchers are getting better at the act of searching. The invasion of search engines during the past few years has inspired some analysts to wonder if Internet Yellow Pages directories might also be headed for extinction.
This graph from webpro news (Australia) shows that search engines have finally passed the Yellow Pages with regards to finding products and services.
What the Data Shows
While most people still use a variety of different methods to find a business, the study found what people seem to prefer as their first choice for doing so.
- Search Engines (31%)
- Print Yellow Pages or White Pages (30%)
- Internet Yellow Pages Sites (19%)
- Local Search Sites (11%)
The reason for this is because search engines can be more effective than Yellow pages in a number of different ways.
- Your Yellow Pages ad can appear next to your competitor
- With an optimized website you can differentiate yourself from competitors
- It is difficult to determine what business came from your Yellow Pages ads
- Using analytics you are able to track how visitors interact with your website
- With Content Marketing your website will become an asset to your business
Source: Make sure your company is visible on Google with Search Engine Optimization