Local Online Ads to Hit $5 Billion by 2009

“Local media research firm The Kelsey Group predicts yellow pages-type advertising on the internet will increase to about $5 billion in the U.S. by 2009, with most of that coming in the form of paid search. The firm said the worldwide market will reach $10.9 billion, $5.1 billion of which will be spent in the U.S. $3.4 billion in the U.S. will come from paid search. Almost two-thirds of the spending will come from national brands, according to the group. More of the billings are expected to come from the internet and less from the mobile phone market, as The Kelsey Group downgraded its previous expectations of progress in the mobile market.”

How Does That Affect Businesses in Calgary

Already businesses in Calgary can generate a postive return on investment from their online Yellow Pages advertising. The real benefit of such numbers and reports above is the fact that the trend is real and businesses should no longer be hesitate about investing in some online marketing. We already know that over 30% of Canadians don’t pick up the print book to find a business and that over 5 million Canadians use online directories to find a business every month right now.

The key, however, is a balanced approach to directory advertising. See my recommendation here.