Google vs Yellow Pages- Which One Do People Use More?

Jul 27th, 2010

You’d be hard pressed to find a person who doesn’t know about the Yellow Pages. For many years, people used it to find consumer items that were necessary for a host of daily functions. It is worth wondering though whether this printed tool is still the number one reference for consumers. Others now seem to be using alternative tools like search engines, the most notable of which is Google. A Google vs Yellow Pages fight would truly be a point of interest.

To date there is no popular study that provides statistical figures comparing print media and search engine use. Melbourne SEO Services however recently conducted its own survey presented in one of the best viral marketing video campaigns recently launched. The results reveal that a lot has changed since the dominant days of print media.

Survey shows that 53.85% of those asked never turn to the Yellow Pages for their needs. Around 92.86% let their fingers do the typing in Google search boxes to find what they need. An amazing 100% of the people asked mentioned that they all use Google everyday. Obviously, the Yellow Pages may soon see the beginnings of the end of the road. A lot of people now prefer to snub printed material altogether because they prefer the ease of online tools.

What this means for business owners is even more obvious. If you own a business, regardless of whether it is based online or in a traditional brick and mortar store, you stand to gain more if Google has you on its results pages. You’d want to be right in the position for potential customers to find you quickly and easily.

The survey took a deeper angle at the Google vs Yellow Pages bout. Respondents were also asked if they knew what SEO is and what it is for. Even at this day and age when the internet is everywhere, only 7.14% of the people interviewed had an inkling of what SEO is. This ultimately means that people don’t really care how the cogs mesh and turn. All they care about is results and they rely on Google to tell them which results are relevant to their needs.

Going a step further, the survey also asked what respondents clicked on in search results pages. Close to half of the respondents said they chose to get into only the first few top listed sites. None of them ever jumped into the second or third pages. This finding is even more crucial for business owners to pick up. Only businesses that are found on the first page of search engine results stand a chance of generating significant profits. Your business site needs to be in front and on top.

Survey results ultimately boil down to one point. Businesses need to pay attention to SEO techniques and strategies. If you don’t have the time to learn it on your own, you need to get other people to do it for you. Otherwise, you will be missing out on spectacular profit potentials.

The winner between the Google vs Yellow Pages battle hasn’t been formally declared. This is especially since the Yellow Pages seems to be intent on getting back on track. It might be around for many more years. It seems obvious to everyone though that businesses should put search engines to good use.

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