Need a business’ telephone number or address but don’t have a print telephone book handy? No problem. Welcome to the Internet Yellow Pages (IYP). With the perpetual advancement and availability of online and mobile resources, local searchers can now get the information they need in seconds. The good news is that IYP remain in a position to satisfy that need.

Spending on IYP is projected to increase 17.4 percent to $1.83 billion in 2009, according to Simba Information. This is a continuing trend that also predicts a double-digit growth for online ad sales in 2010. The importance of IYP is also reaffirmed in our agency’s Local Search Usage Study, which shows that IYP account for 21 percent of the entire media landscape (a percentage that has increased every year for the past three years). Even with the economic downturn, businesses are realizing that IYP advertising is extremely valuable. The reality has sunk in that if a business doesn’t want to invest in IYP advertising, its competitors will gain a significant competitive advantage in doing so.

Now more than ever, IYP play a crucial role in the success of any advertiser’s online marketing program.