Online Ad Sales to Capture 20.1% of Yellow Pages Market by 2012, Simba Report Finds

Oct. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- Internet yellow pages revenue is projected to increase to $3.06 billion, accounting for 20.1% of the total yellow pages market, according to U.S. Online Yellow Pages Market 2009-2012, a new report published by media industry forecast and analysis firm Simba Information.

Yellow page publishers have shifted heavily into online advertising since recovering from bankruptcy in 2009, doubling online revenue growth in just four years, according to the report. An increase in online advertising revenue is a boost to yellow pages publishers seeking an alternative revenue stream, who fear a wave of local legislation similar to the Seattle Ordinance, which tacks on millions of dollars worth of advance fees to publishers of print yellow pages.

Additionally, the report found that search engines, which have rolled out local search features that compete with yellow page websites, are forming mutual partnerships with yellow page publishers by buying detailed, community based and localized lists and selling local advertising space.

“Despite the search engine threat, the yellow pages industry is still doing relatively well, having recognized the opportunity in Internet yellow pages a few years ago and invested in online operations,” said David Goddard, lead author of the Simba study. “That investment is now paying off, especially for AT&T Advertising Solutions (St. Louis) and Yellowbook (Uniondale, NY), which are projected to post impressive 21.2% and 18.3% revenue gains, respectively, from online operations in 2010.”

The report, U.S. Online Yellow Pages Market 2009-2012, contains in-depth profiles of selected print publishers, pure-play Internet yellow pages companies and search engines. The report also provides detailed information on the online yellow pages market including market share, online vs. print yellow pages usage by category, estimated online traffic, sources of listings and key online alliances. The report can be found at: http://www.simbainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=79884....

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About Simba Information
Simba Information is widely recognized as the leading authority for market intelligence in the media and publishing industry as its extensive information network delivers top quality, independent perspective on the people, events and alliances shaping the industry. Simba provides consulting and reports that provide key decision-makers at more than 15,000 client companies around the globe with timely analysis, exclusive statistics and proprietary industry forecasts. For more information, please visit www.simbainformation.com.

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