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YELLOWPAGES.COM Improves Local Search, Provides More Value for Advertisers

Home Page

Search Results Page

How Search Works

Yellow Pages Ads

Paid Listings

Tiles

More Information Pages

YELLOWPAGES.COM Improves Local Search, Provides More Value for Advertisers

Q: Why is YELLOWPAGES.COM changing?
A: The goal of YELLOWPAGES.COM is to support an ever-increasing, loyal user base, which local and national advertisers can tap into. To achieve this goal, YELLOWPAGES.COM must:
  • Be the consumer destination of choice for finding businesses and services locally on the Web
  • Develop the design, functionality, content and platforms to support an unsurpassed user experience
  • Leverage the traffic associated with the best user experience to provide maximum value to advertisers

YELLOWPAGES.COM continues to attract new consumers. In recent usability studies, we identified ways to make our site even better and more attractive not just to today's consumers but also for the consumers of tomorrow.

Q: What are the key changes and benefits for consumers?
A: The key changes that consumers notice are
  • A new, streamlined design
  • Tools that allow consumers to refine and sort search results faster to find the information that they need
  • Search options that bring specified listings to the top of the search results

The site will continue to evolve and change to deliver a positive consumer experience and adapt to changes in our audience and technology.

Q: What are the key changes and benefits for advertisers?
A: The key changes that benefit advertisers are
  • More Consumers
    • Across the YELLOWPAGES.COM Network, we are on target to generate 1.8 billion searches by the end of 2007. Our new site will help us reach this target by increasing our exposure on other search engines and improving the consumer experience so consumers return to the site.
  • More Connections
    • YELLOWPAGES.COM now displays listings in additional locations on the site, including the local Yellow Pages and in the right margin of search results pages
  • More Conversions
    • Improved consumer perception of results matching searches due to a new ZIP code search function and a single results set
    • User friendly design that includes displaying text with icons for ad content, larger fonts and a clean layout

Home Page

Q: Why does the Home page look different?
A: The revised Home page reflects the new design of YELLOWPAGES.COM. A graphic was removed to give the local guides greater prominence, to allow more room for site information and to expose additional search options to the consumers.
Q: When I'm on the Home page, do I have to click on one of the local Yellow Pages (Atlanta, Dallas, and so forth) to look for a business?
A: No, you can perform a search just as you've always done. The local Yellow Pages provide local information for specific cities and are available to give users a "localized" experience when they search for businesses and services on YELLOWPAGES.COM.

Search Results Page

Why does YELLOWPAGES.COM send consumers to the More Info Page when the consumer clicks on the business name?
A: Consumers want additional content about businesses. All business listings (paid and free) on YELLOWPAGES.COM have a More Information page that the business owner can populate with additional content. The More Information page offers a summary of concise, organized details about the business, and consumers can often visit the business' Web site from this page.
Q: Why are the ads in the right margin highlighted with blue?
A: To create a consistent site design, advertising and business content includes the color blue. Consumer and site features include the color yellow.
Q: Why did we remove the words "Free Call" from the Click-to-Call link?
A: One goal of the new YELLOWPAGES.COM site is to increase the usage of consumer tools. We believe that the new icon and the simple term "Call" are adequate to drive consumer usage. YELLOWPAGES.COM will monitor the Click-to-Call activity and continue to make improvements as needed.

How Search Works

Q: Will the search continue to work the way it used to?
A: The site search logic is constantly being improved; however, there are no major changes planned for the category, name, or product and services search views. If you find a search on the new site that doesn't appear to work correctly, send an e-mail to searchmanager@yellowpages.com and one of our search managers will review the search.
Q: How do we determine which category to return in the right hand margin of a name search?
A: The category we bring back in the right margin is generally the category that is displayed in the left margin refinements section that has the most listings. However, there may be instances when the results are modified to ensure that the most relevant category is returned.
Q: How does the ZIP code search work?
A: When a consumer searches for a "go-to-you" type of business (such as a restaurant or shoe store) and enters a ZIP code in the Location field, YELLOWPAGES.COM will bring back ZIP code search results. In the center column, the listings from the Local Service Area (LSA or Directory) are returned, and listings that match the searched ZIP code appear above those that are outside that ZIP code.
Q: In the ZIP code search, can advertisers appear in both the center and right columns?
A: In the center, advertisers will display in ZIP code order. All advertisers will also display in the right column.
Q: What do consumers think about the new ZIP code search?
A: Initial consumer feedback indicates that consumers appreciate the additional content in the right hand margin and perceive the listings in the middle to be relevant to their search.
Q: Can I search by phone number?
A: Yes. The phone number search option is available in the search box header displayed on most site pages.

Yellow Pages Ads

Q: Why did we remove the Print Ad Online roll-over function?
A: The Print Ad Online provides information that consumers have indicated they find valuable. However, they found the previous function of displaying the ad when the consumer rolled over the button confusing. On the new site, the consumer will now click on "Yellow Pages Ad" to see the ad. This allows us to more accurately track the actual usage of the Print Ad Online and improve the user experience.

Paid Listings

Q: Why did the size of the business listing change?
A: The new size accommodates the new 3-column layout and increased font sizes. The height of paid listings on the new site is slightly taller than previous paid listings, but the height of free listings is substantially smaller.
Q: Why is the background color for the priority local listing (PLL) blue?
A: To create a consistent site design, advertising and business content includes the color blue. Consumer and site features include the color yellow. The gradient blue shading of the PLL will continue to be reviewed to ensure that it provides PLL advertisers with prominence while not affecting the ad's performance.

Tiles

Q: Did the tile size change on the new YELLOWPAGES.COM?
A: Tiles are about 25 percent smaller on the revised YELLOWPAGES.COM.
Q: Why did YELLOWPAGES.COM change the size of the tiles?
A: The YELLOWPAGES.COM design includes a third column on the right side of most pages. As a result of this new design, the 120x90 tile no longer fits within the search results section of the results page. Maintaining a smaller tile within the results provides advertisers with the top-tier representation and performance they expect.
Q: What is the new tile size?
A: The publishing channels still send a 120x90 tile image to YELLOWPAGES.COM, but YELLOWPAGES.COM converts them to a 96x72 tile image using a custom conversion script. YELLOWPAGES.COM maintains the 120x90 for distribution to our extended distribution partners' platforms, and displays the 96x72 on the site.
Q: Can Advertisers change the design of their tile if they aren't satisfied with how they look on the new YELLOWPAGES.COM?
A: The publishing teams can work with advertisers to create a tile that may look better in the new size.

More Information Pages

Q: Does every business have a More Information page?
A: Yes. The More Information page contains at least the business listing information. If the business has an address, then the More Information page also contains a map. Businesses are encouraged to provide relevant business information for the MIP, including hours of operation, payment types accepted, and other valuable information about their business.
Q: Will the More Information page have a "show all" button to expand out the entire MIP content so it can be printed?
A: A print button will be added to the More Information page. The print button will create a printable MIP, but it will not contain an exact replica of the advertising.
Q: What information will appear On the More Information page in the "General Info" section versus the "Product & Services" section?
A: In the Products and Services section we display: products, services and brands. All other content will be displayed in the General Information section.

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