Yellow Pages, Google and Local Service Advertising

The Yellow Pages rang me up this week to ask me if I wanted to advertise. Having worked for the directory in the past I chose to have a little entry called a boldface entry which I can include my web address and a couple of numbers rather than just the one. CHEAP ENOUGH AND SERVES A PURPOSE.


But the conversation turned to how the directory was changing and Yells developments with Yell.com (which I advertised on last year but which I found to be a poor source of enquiry, but I wont criticise as my content may have been at fault.)

What interested me in the conversation was being told that after June or July of this year all Yellow Page Directories will be the compact version. Now I’ve seen the compact version and it is smaller, a more manageable size. (The print size is smaller, which I wondered whether or not, would alienate their older and longer term users because it was difficult to read, but surely this would have been considered.) What entered my mind was the cost savings, that must be considerable in the reduction of paper and ink, reducing the production cost noticeably. And apparently they have reported a 7% increase in use with the compact version.

Why I wonder? Not such a monstrous door stop, more people finding it easier to manage? Or it’s novelty? The Yellow Pages has shrunk! And if it’s novelty, will the usage stats be reported per new compact directory most recently in use or mixing in the figures for an established compact? I’m sure Yell will do the right thing, but if the results clarify ‘novelty’ and the habit it has of wearing off, what will become of the directory? HAS THE PAPER PHONE BOOK HAD ITS DAY?

I still use the Yellow Pages but I have to admit that the majority of friends and clients I talk to these days steer toward the internet either via a computer or a mobile device.

Bringing me to the consideration of the difference between ‘stimulative’ advertising, ie. Shouting out ‘OVER HERE! HEY I HAVE WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR .OVER HERE! The grabbing attention sort of thing and the more passive but no less important ‘Directive’ form of advertising which ‘directs’ somebody to you when they are looking for your service or product.

Lately we have seen Google make big stimulative type advertising splashes all over the UK with big billboard adverts for their browser Google Chrome. Typical stimulative advertising from the heart of the most popularly used form/source of directive advertising the Google search engine.

The Yellow Pages was once ‘The’ brand name in directive advertising with the directories providing alphabetically listed businesses across a huge range of business classifications. It was the book we all picked up when we needed to find some service provider of some sort, often providing us with the visual confusion of the heavily sold ‘stimulative’ adverts, often out of alphabetical order resulting in a free for all advertiser scatter gun splash of messages and calls. GREAT, you’d definitely find a number! (Whether or not it would get answered however is a problem that exists today and has little to do with yell. Mind you that would be a great add on to an advert, not only a call counting number but an answering service where Yell could capture the enquiry and pass it on to the advertiser. Mind you if it was possible, it would no doubt become a service where if Yell couldn’t raise the advertiser after 3 or 4 calls they’d sell the lead on to the next available advertiser, and why not?)

Google is now the biggest brand in the world, the ‘Super Power’ of searching the net.

The little guy in street still gets the visual confusion though, but not in the same sense.

With search engines when we make a search we often get results which have little do with what we’re looking for, or we get additional search directories and engines. I believe Yell spends considerable amounts of income in search technology and research, and also in paid for advertising on Google, to capture traffic for its internet directory service. Nothing really wrong with this is there? If it helps the end user, the little fellow looking for something, actually find what they’re looking for then champion!

But could it be better? Yes! When we search, rather than be confronted by directories and additional searching options, we could be provided with websites of actual providers of the products and services we are looking for.

With the advent of Google Maps a window appeared where local businesses and services could be shown at the top of the page, providing the most relevant return in premium position for local service searches and it is FREE. BRILLIANT MOVE BY GOOGLE.

Unfortunately, local service providers often have little more than a telephone number alongside their map/address missing the opportunity to showcase their business, provide examples of their work and customer testimonials.

Maybe one of the reasons for this is that the local business still believes in ‘Word of Mouth’ the happy customer passing their details on. And happy customers do just that, but we live in the information age and once we have details, we do our own research! Where? On the internet? Where on the internet? The majority of us use Google. Now we don’t all have a computer and a broad band connection, but the majority do. (To such an extent that Government is looking at providing free computers and broadband connections to the poorest families with children to help their education.)

In this age of information, when the old paper sources of contact detail are being left behind by more extensive sources, easily accessible at home or on the move, surely it’s time that all service providing business have a presence, in fact another shop window, on the internet and make sure it can be seen on the most commonly used search engine.