Local Search Led By Google, Yahoo

Those two Internet players own nearly 60 percent of the local search market, which continues to grow at a strong pace.

report cited that as a 43 percent increase year over year from July 2005. The figures for local search placed Google barely ahead of Yahoo, by only six-tenths of a percentage point. ComScore revealed the top ten by share during the Search Engine Strategies Local conference in Denver. Here's how local search sites stacked up by the numbers: Share of Local Searches by Site July 2006 Total U.S. Home, Work and University Locations Source: comScore qSearch Total Internet
Population Total Local Searches:
100% Google Sites 29.8% Yahoo! Sites 29.2% Microsoft Sites 12.3% Time Warner Network 7.1% Verizon Communications 6.6% YellowPages.com 3.9% Ask Network 2.7% Local.com 1.9% InfoSpace Network 1.9% DexOnline.com 1.4% All Other 3.2% Local search online has started becoming a factor in offline activity. The comScore study said that during the second quarter of 2006, 47 percent of local searchers visited a local merchant as a result of their search behavior, while 41 percent made contact offline. More than one-third (37 percent) made contact online as a result of conducting a local area search. Add to Del.icio.us | Digg | Yahoo! My Web | Furl Bookmark Murdok: David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.