These days, local marketing can seem a lot more complicated to the average small business owner than it used to be—and for very good reason. With advances in digital offerings, small businesses are now confronted with a growing range of possibilities for their ad dollars. Moreover, owners are faced with the harder task of determining how to link their various initiatives into cohesive strategies that deliver the strongest rates of return for their businesses. More...

To many of us, 2009 couldn’t end soon enough. But today we have fresh optimism about what’s in store for 2010. I sense a cautious sense of hope with everyone I’ve spoken with that the prospects for next year are stronger for local search providers and our advertisers. Since much of local search is driven by small business, I’m heartened by some recent statistics from the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) that show a slight uptick in key small business metrics: sales, earnings, credit and optimism. If those positive signs gain momentum, 2010 promises to be an exciting year—but not without its challenges. More...