Local Online Ads To Double In 2008

Search Engine Land quotes a Borrell Associates study of local online ad sales projections for the upcoming year.

"Local search is expected to grow from roughly $2.5 billion currently to $5 billion in 2008. Borrell expects local video to roughly triple from just over $400 million today to $1.27 million next year".

Other highlights from the Borrell Report;

• The three largest categories are Autos, Jobs and Real Estate.
• Dramatic rise in video for local business.
• Average local business spend was $299 "per location" in 2007. (Range, $18,000 high end to about $100 low end).
• Independent online ad specialists will be in high demand.

Kelsey Group's Five Year Forecast

"Forecast Calls for Flat Print Growth"

The Kelsey Group's Global Print Yellow Pages, Internet Yellow Pages and Local Search Forecast was made public today.

Some bullet points;

• "Global print revenues will be relatively flat for the period (CAGR 0.9 percent) — US$26.5 billion in 2006 compared with US$27.8 billion in 2011."
• "Online revenues, by contrast, will grow a brisk 22.3 percent (CAGR) to US$11.1 billion in 2011. "

My read;

1. Print Yellow Pages will milk the categories they can while readership stalls.
2. As current Y.P. customers become aware of online options they will be flocking to Internet.