Oh no! Say it ain’t so! The Internet has officially surpassed the yellow pages as the preferred method for local search.
Research published yesterday by TMP Media — reveals the following consumer preferences when conducting local searches:
- 31% use Search Engines
- 30% use Print Yellow Pages or White Pages
- 19% use Internet Yellow Pages Sites
- 11% use Local Search Sites
Last year’s report had print Yellow Pages slightly ahead of search engines – 33 percent vs. 30 percent.
Another key point highlighted in the research — and one that i blogged about yesterday — is the increasingly clear (but difficult to measure) connection between online search and offline purchasing behavior. In summary, the report confirms that consumers do a majority of research online, but continue to make a majority of purchases offline with a phone call or in-store visit.
Furthermore, it is fascinating (and yet predictable) to see what consumers typically do immediately after searching for a local business online.
- 39% said they make a phone call to the business
- 32% said they visit the business in person
- 12% said they attempt to contact the business online (which is actually down from 15% in 2007)
Conventional wisdom has long held that Internet Yellow Pages (Yellowbook.com) and local search sites (Yahoo local) are used much closer to the purchase decision, while general search sites (Google) are used higher up the purchasing funnel. The research released yesterday confirms this view — but just barely:
- 55% of Internet Yellow Pages users made a purchase (online, in person, or via phone) directly after searching
- 54% of local search users did so
- 50% of general search users did so
A final "no brainer" included in the research is the continued rise in mobile search.
