Local Business Directories Important as Phone Book Distribution Lessons

Local business owners in Pennsylvania will be more reliant on local business directory listings after a major distributor of telephone directories gets permission to reduce the number of phone books they distribute.

Arroyo Grande, United States - September 16, 2017 /PressCable/ —

The official publisher of printed telephone directories for the state of Pennsylvania has recently received permission to deliver fewer phone books in selected areas of the state. DexYP publishes and distributes the official printed telephone directories for Verizon and CenturyLInk in Pennsylvania. As of September 11, 2017, they’ll be delivering far fewer phone books to local homes and businesses. Their decision reflects the reality that most people today find local businesses and services through an online local business directory and other local search techniques.

Their decision to deliver fewer printed phone books in certain areas isn’t surprising, according to a spokesperson for Find Us Local, an online local business directory that serves cities and towns throughout the United States. It only makes sense as the trend to social searching and “near me” searches grows.

“Over the years,” the spokesperson said, “Google has refined its search algorithms to surface local results when they think someone is looking for a business near them. Accurate results for those searches rely on ‘citations’ – links from local business directories and other reliable websites that give correct addresses.”

However, as often happens when big search engines rely on algorithms, scam artists and big, national businesses found ways to get around the automated vetting. Last February, Google quietly rolled out an update that they hoped would alleviate the false local results in their search returns. Instead, it knocked many local businesses right off the front page.

“One of the advantages of using a true local search directory rather than relying on Google’s ‘near me’ search algorithms is the people trust their neighbors,” Find Us Local said. “On local business directories like Find Us Local, they can read reviews from people who live in their town, as well as keep up with local news and events. That builds trust in the directory website, so when a local resident is looking for someone to work in their home, or the best place to go for a romantic dinner near them, they turn to the local business listings for help.”

The Pennsylvania decision represents the next step in the evolution of local business advertising. As fewer and fewer homes and businesses receive or use a printed phone directory – once the most pervasive and basic form of business advertising – the online business directory will become more important than ever.

About FindUsLocal: FindUsLocal uses geolocation technology in visitor’s browsers to construct a home page focused on their city, town or community. Right there on the front page, they’ll find local weather, sports results for their favorite teams, and announcements of the top musical acts and events coming to their city. Smart business owners list their businesses on the site to be seen by those who are specifically looking for businesses in their local area.

Contact Info:
Name: Matthew Hesser
Organization: FindUSLocal.com
Address: P.O. Box 880, Arroyo Grande, CA 93421, United States
Phone: +1-805-534-9800

For more information, please visit http://www.FindUsLocal.com

Source: PressCable

Release ID: 239997