Local Search Week!

This week, we’re focusing on local search here at Search Engine Land. Why? Local search, along with its close cousin mobile search, promises to be the next “big opportunity” for interactive marketers. The consensus prediction is for $8 billion in ad spending by 2010 targeted toward local searchers.

It’s also clear that as searchers get more sophisticated, they’re getting more comfortable seeking out nearby merchants and service providers using the web, rather than turning to the increasingly outdated, non-interactive yellow pages.

Despite these promising signs, the market is fragmented, and getting more so with new local search services launching almost weekly. And the established players, the general purpose search engines and internet yellow pages providers have all put major resources into creating robust local search and mapping offerings.

So it’s still a confusing landscape for many search marketers. In the posts this week by Search Engine Land columnists and writers, we hope to dispel some of that confusion and clarify some of the opportunities that you may not have considered.

And, of course, our SMX Local & Mobile conference is just around the corner. In highlighting local search this week, and mobile search next week, we aim to whet your appetite for what’s shaping up to be a fantastic conference, with tons of new and original content from speakers who have developed significant knowledge and expertise in these emerging areas of search marketing.

Want to know more about SMX Local & Mobile? Here you go:

Attend SMX Local & Mobile – October 1-2, Denver

Learn the latest tips and techniques for local search at SMX Local & Mobile! Join the Search Engine Land editorial team for the only event 100% focused on this significant opportunity for search marketers.

See the Agenda. Check out the Networking page. Register today!