SOURCE: Yellow Pages Association

February 26, 2008 11:19 ET

New Research Shows Overall Yellow Pages Usage Growing -- 17.2 Billion Searches in 2007

Yellow Pages -- in Print and Online -- Remains a Go-To Resource for Ready-to-Buy Consumers, Says Yellow Pages Association

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ--(Marketwire - February 26, 2008) - The Yellow Pages Association™ (YPA™) today announced that industry research shows 2007 Yellow Pages usage grew to 17.2 billion searches in 2007, up from 16.7 billion in 2006.

Print usage remained stable with 13.4 billion print Yellow Pages references, unchanged from 2006, according to the 2007 Knowledge Networks/SRI (KN/SRI) Industry Usage Study, while comScore reports Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) searches increased 15 percent in 2007 to 3.8 billion, up from 2006's 3.3 billion IYP searches.

"The Yellow Pages medium is still a go-to resource for ready-to-buy consumers. Overall Yellow Pages usage increased in 2007 as Internet use continues to grow and print usage stabilizes," said Neg Norton, president of YPA, which represents a $31 billion Yellow Page industry worldwide. "Combined with a 27:1 average sales ROI for national display advertisers (1), the Yellow Pages in all formats is a 'must-buy' medium for advertisers of all sizes."

Additional findings regarding Yellow Pages usage include:

--  Approximately 87 percent of the U.S. population used the print Yellow
    Pages in 2007. (KN/SRI)
--  Average number of monthly IYP searchers up 16 percent: 73 million IYP
    searchers per month in 2007, compared to 63.1 million IYP searchers per
    month in 2006. (comScore)
--  Of the 144 million people performing local searches online in December
    2007, over half (51 percent) used IYPs. (comScore)
    

The KN/SRI Industry Usage Study was based on 9,008 telephone interviews conducted in 2007. The research methods include use of a random digit dial sample with one adult selected at random in each contacted household. The comScore qSearch Local & IYP data employs a proprietary panel of one million U.S. panelists. These panelists agree to have their Internet behavior confidentially monitored and captured anonymously.

For more information about YPA research, please visit http://www.ypassociation.org. For a who's who directory of Search Engines, Internet Yellow Pages and Local Search Tools, please visit http://www.localsearchguide.org.

About The Yellow Pages Association

The Yellow Pages Association (YPA) is the largest trade organization of a print and digital media industry valued at more than $31 billion worldwide. Association members include Yellow Pages publishers, certified marketing representatives (CMRs) and associate members, a group of industry stakeholders that include Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors and suppliers.

(1) CRM Associates 2006