Local Search Replaces Yellow Pages

Beginning in 2008, Google changed the search engine to detect when people are searching for local companies or organizations. When a local search is detected, Google displays a map with the top 10 listings in that region. This is called “local search.”

From this point forward, when a local search was detected, the local search results were placed ahead of the normal web results! Instantly, people who were ranked number one were no longer visible at the top of the page. Those sites that were optimized for local search gained new prominence, and earned more money for it.

2008 was also very important for another development. Last year, Internet Searches replaced yellow page usage. The decline of the yellow pages will continue, and it will be vital for agents to rank well in Local Search.