With local search becoming an increasingly important part of the strategy of a local business, search engines that are built to serve that market are starting to offer options that their larger competitors aren't offering.
For example, Local.com is going to start serving up a "Local Verified" service which allows businesses to pay an annual fee so they can be placed at the top of search results for localized search.
"We're focused on offering businesses of all sizes multiple local search options, from standard CPMs and banners, to completely free listings," said Jennifer Black, the search engine's vice president of marketing.
The results from local search are phenomenal, as comScore reports that close to half of all consumers that performed a local search ended up visiting the local business as a result of finding them.
For a relatively small $249 on Local.com you can get a premium listing for a year on the top of the search results.
At a minimum a small business should get their businesses listed online for free, as most of these search sites offer the service. There isn't a need to have a Web site either, as the information you provide will point searchers in your direction.
While I think that all businesses should have an online presence, this is still a good alternative if you don't have a Web site up yet.
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