Stephanie Hobbs
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5 Areas That Demonstrate The Growing Potential Of Local Search

As those of you who read my column know, I believe strongly in the potential of an integrated, multi-platform approach to local search, and the importance of educating small businesses about the various advertising opportunities available to them. Small businesses today often struggle with the idea that local advertising can no longer be executed using […]

U.S. Census Findings Count For Local Search Marketers

Talk of the 2010 U.S. Census is heating up on the web – as local information starts to trickle out – with discussion about what national and local census figures mean for everything from politics to the Superbowl. For local search companies and marketers, the U.S. Census delivers valuable information that helps us understand who […]

Key Takeaways From BIA/Kelsey’s DMS ’10 Conference

I just returned from BIA/Kelsey’s Directional Media Strategies 2010 Conference in Dallas, where for three days top players in the local search community discussed the future of generating leads for small and medium-sized businesses. While we all recognize that the emergence of digital and mobile opportunities is changing the fundamentals of how we market locally, […]

The New Local: Location Based, Social Centric & Behaviorally Targeted

We’re just weeks into 2010, and already a host of major tech, online, and mobile companies have made some exciting announcements about their latest plans for local search. In mid-January, Google’s Mobile division announced that it is upgrading its search engine on Android-powered devices and the iPhone to present results reflective of the current or […]

Local-Social Search: A Powerful Marketing Channel For Small Businesses

The courtship of social networking and local search will result in a marriage that diversifies the mix of sales tools and empowers circles of families, friends, co-workers and organizations to share experiences and opinions in the local search space. For a number of years, consumers have had a collective, powerful online voice through ratings and […]

Microhoo Changes Local Search Landscape For Small Biz

Finally, after a lengthy gestation period, Microhoo is official! In late July, Microsoft and Yahoo inked a 10-year deal that — if approved — combines the companies’ forces in an internet search alliance to make a concentrated run at Google, recognized by many as the key player in local search. The deal, which seems to […]

Next Great Thing: Bing Draws On IYP Connection

Everyone seems to be chiming in with their reviews of Microsoft’s new search engine — oops, I mean “decision engine”. Can it compete with Yahoo? Will it become a verb like Google? Why’d they name it after the Chandler character on “Friends?” I don’t know if Bing will grow legs or if it’ll get lost […]

Our Relationship To The Bottom Line

The search business is a roll-up-your-sleeves type of business. We’re continually honing the way we deliver the search experience of today while preparing for how that experience will change tomorrow. With our eyes on the road ahead, and our minds grappling with what lies around the corner, there isn’t much time to look in the […]

Local Mobile Search Takes Center Stage As Next-Generation Format Of Yellow Pages: Industry Panel Weighs In

The importance of valuable mobile content and services is undeniable—just observe the sea of people talking, text messaging, and searching on mobile devices in nearly every personal and business setting these days. What remains to be seen, however, is which local mobile services and companies will rise to the top with the most relevant offerings […]