Yellow Pages Online's Future

The Internet Yellow Pages are not dead and probably will not be for some time, despite what you might have heard.

The Kelsey Group posted Why Internet Yellow Pages Can Compete for Local Search last month. In their article, they provided five reasons why they feel that IYPs will grow faster than local search over the next few years:

• Large sales force
• The print publishers are continuing to improve their online offerings
• They provide white and yellow page listings which you  really can not get elsewhere
• They are enhancing their IYP product search features
• Have an opportunity for growth in searching via mobile phones

For those who like statistics, you can check out comScore Reports Growth in Internet Yellow Pages Searches: Yellow Book Network Shows Fastest Growth in IYP Search Queries Conducted

Finally, I found a nice article over at YP Talk: The Future of Yellow Pages by Charles Laughlin. I will let you read it, but he concludes his article, with the following. (Note the terms he uses, many of those we just covered here at LocalBizBits) (emphasis is mine)

“We’ll see more print niche products, building around high-value verticals. We’ll see more hyper-local print content and hybrid print products (combining Yellow Pages and classifieds, magazines and so on). We may see directories stripped down to the highest value headings and then published with greater frequency. We will certainly see more product development energy devoted to online offerings. Most publishers will have a free directory assistance product or will partner with a free DA provider.”