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Barbara Coll Addresses Future of Local Search at Yellow Pages Association(TM) 2005 Conference & Exhibition

Search Engine Marketing Expert Says Online Local Search Community Should Partner to Combine Complementary Strengths

LAS VEGAS (March 9, 2005) - With online ad spending rising and consumers increasingly searching online for local businesses' offerings, Barbara Coll, president, chairman and founder of the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) and WebMama.com Inc., discussed the future of local search in a keynote presentation at the Yellow Pages Association's(TM) (YPA(TM)) 2005 Power of Yellow Pages annual conference and exhibition.

Coll forecasts wide partnering amongst IYP, city guides, search engines and newspapers, as each complement each other's strengths in targeting the same audience. "These advertising venues are like peas in the same pod," said Coll. "Their partnerships will bring a dynamic mix of data and traffic, providing a better local search experience for both users and advertisers," said Coll.

Online local search providers garner high traffic, Coll states, but IYP have the data quality and depth of services, including local sales interaction with customers. According to Coll, online searching drives offline sales, as research shows $1.70 is spent offline for every consumer dollar spent directly online.

As an example, a consumer may visit a search engine to research a particular product or service and then switch over to an IYP to find an appropriate local small or medium-sized business (SMB), which will result in an online sale, a telephone call or a visit to the brick-and-mortar business location.

"As Kelsey Group research indicates, 24 percent of SMBs are now using IYP to advertise their business, up 60 percent from last year," said Coll.

"In fact, with mobile search now available and computers in the kitchens in the next 10 years, consumers will increasingly rely on finding local businesses through online search."

In addition, Coll emphasized that IYP already has the trusted brand recognition to build on, but like all local search players, will have to anticipate the needs of an online searcher before the need exists.

Barbara "WebMama" Coll has been involved with product and program marketing in Silicon Valley for 17 years, combining her engineering education with business and market know-how. Coll is a sought-after presenter for industry conferences and founded WebMama.com Inc. (www.webmama.com) in 1996 to provide online businesses with Web-based, low-cost, lead-generation programs. The company today is a leader and influential player in the search engine marketing industry. WebMama.com clients include Hewlett-Packard, Salesforce.com, Shoes.com and Webex Communications.

About The Yellow Pages Association

Originally founded in 1975 as the National Yellow Pages Service Association (NYPSA), the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) is the trade organization of a print and electronic media industry valued at more than $26 billion worldwide ($14 billion U.S.). Association members include Yellow Pages publishers, who produce leading-edge electronic products and deliver Yellow Pages directories to 100 percent of U.S. homes with telephones - and who account for more than 90 percent of Yellow Pages revenue generated in the U.S. and Canada. Members include the industry's international, national and local sales forces, certified marketing representatives (CMRs) and associate members, a group of industry stakeholders that include Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors and suppliers. The Association has members in more than 20 countries.

In addition to SBC Yellow Pages, YPA board member companies include BellSouth, Dex Media, Inc., Verizon Information Services, Yellow Pages Group, DataNational/Volt Directory Systems, R.H. Donnelley., RR Donnelley, Wahlstrom Group, the Association of Directory Marketing and Marquette Group.

The Yellow Pages medium provides a powerful return on investment for advertisers and can serve as the cornerstone of an integrated advertising media mix. For more information, please visit the YPA Web site at www.ypassociation.org or call (908) 286-2380. To learn more about Yellow Pages advertising, visit www.buyyellow.com. For a Who's Who of Internet Yellow Pages and search engines, visit www.localsearchguide.org.


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