• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, July 1, 2011

According to the "Local Media Tracking Study," conducted by Burke on behalf of the Local Search Association consumers use Yellow Pages and search engines most to find local businesses, outpacing social networks, magazines, newspapers, and promotional circulars/emails.  Among local media, consumers consult 2.2 sources when looking for information to buy a product or service locally.

Neg Norton, president, Local Search Association, says " Local media trends give small businesses a good sense of where they should invest their limited advertising budgets... we recommend an integrated approach that incorporates print and Internet... "

84% of people used either print or Internet Yellow Pages to find a local business in the last year and 76% used a search engine. The study found that 74% of U.S. adults used a print Yellow Pages directory to find a local business in the past year.  Search engines reached 76% of consumer through the year, and 67% monthly.           

Local Media Search Habits
Local Media Source	Used in the past year	Used in the past month
Yellow Pages (print & Internet)	84%	62%
Search Engines	76%	67%
Print Directories (print Yellow Pages & white pages)	78%	55%
Print Yellow Pages	74%	49%
Internet Yellow Pages	57%	36%
Store Circulars, Email Promotions, or Coupons	68%	47%
Print White Pages	63%	36%
Newspapers	58%	36%
Internet Social Networks	32%	23%
Magazines	33%	17%
Source: Burke, June 2011

Dr. Marc Rysman, Boston University, concludes that "...consumers are relying on a growing spectrum of platforms to search for local civic and business information... "

Consumers say Yellow Pages are the most trusted, most accurate source they choose first when searching for local business information.  Consumers also rate Yellow Pages as the first chosen, easiest and most convenient to access, and the source they find "best in class" for finding information on local businesses.

Local Media Attributes (% of U.S.Consumers)
Local Business Info Source	Yellow Pages (Print & Internet)	PrintDirectors (Yellow & White Pgs)	Search Engines	Social Networks
Most trusted	51%	45%	41%	1%
Most accurate	53	45	39	2
First selected	49	45	42	2
Easy & convenient	52	46	39	2
Best in Class	50	44	42	2
Source: Burke, June 2011

Norton says this about social networks vs. the Yellow Pages:  "... many believe that social networks have a built-in trust factor because... (of) referrals from people they know, but consumers... say that they trust most the local information provided by Yellow Pages and search engines..."  

While usage of print Yellow Pages has declined as local media information has become available in more places, says the report, the number of times U.S. consumers look up information in a print directory continues to be in the billions. 2010, consumers generated 11 billion references to print Yellow pages. comScore found that Internet Yellow Pages generated 5.6 billion searches in 2010.

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