• February 15, 2008

Search engine Local.com has enhanced its Local Promote product, the company's subscription advertising product for local businesses.

The company also launched a new "Advertise With Us" section of its Web site that offers tools and information for local business owners related to local search advertising and how they can get involved.

Local search advertising is expected to more than double in 2008, according to Borrell Associates.

Local Promote provides local businesses with placement at the top of targeted search results in specific categories and geographic regions. Local Promote also offers businesses the ability to build their own branded Web pages, where businesses can post company logos, photos, company taglines, and special offer links, in addition to the standard profile page contact information.

The latest Local Promote offering also automatically submits businesses' listings to the major search engines and offers advanced call-tracking capabilities that allow local businesses to further measure the success of their online advertising campaigns by linking their online ad to phone calls received.

The company's new "Advertise With Us" section provides local business owners with tools to promote their business through local search, including a self-serve Ad Center that allows businesses to set up and manage their own account and campaigns.

--Tanya Irwin