Local.com has secured a patent for the delivery of sponsored directory assistance listings via SMS and MMS, positioning itself as the conduit between advertisers, free 411 service providers and
mobile search consumers.
Industry partners seeking to provide paid search results using a pay-per-click or pay-per-call model can license Local.com's patented method of delivery - which
includes operator-assisted and automated calls, and wireless messages.
"Directory assistance is where massive volumes of local searches are coming from," said Heath Clarke, chairman and CEO,
Local.com. "And as the overall structure shifts from user-paid to ad-supported, we see pay-per-call or pay-per-click emerging as the most effective monetization model."
This new paid search
patent compliments a patent the local search engine was awarded in late June for geo-targeted delivery of organic search results, but Clarke cautioned that Local.com isn't in the business of
discouraging competition. "We do not have a walled garden approach. We're looking to foster innovation in the local search space so that we can increase the size of the market for all of us."
Although the local search market is fragmented between Internet and mobile-based queries, Local.com's Internet share is growing. According to comScore, the local search engine experienced an 18% surge
in the number of Internet Yellow Page searches from 1Q 06 to 1Q 07.
And with Web giants like Microsoft and voice search providers placing a greater focus on the mobile end of the market,
Local.com has seemingly taken a step toward becoming a major player in that space as well.
Of the two major voice-based local search players, Google offers listings via text message through
1-800-GOOG-411, while Jingle Networks' 1-800-FREE-411 does not; Local.com did not give a timeline as to when it would offer the text message delivery option to its current search clients.