eLocal Listing Selling Video to SMBs

While all the yellow pages publishers are selling video advertising now, I’m unaware of local SEM firms doing this until the announcement that eLocal Listing is doing so. (Strike that: MerchantCircle via Citysearch/TurnHere; although MC isn’t exclusively a local SEM.)

This is both about tapping into the huge phenomenon of online video but also about SEO in blended or universal search.

Just as all the yellow pages publishers both recognized the opportunity and bowed to the pressure, so too will direct-sales local SEM firms (e.g., Reach Local) need to put video into their bag of tricks eventually.

Separately I spoke to Brad Inman (founder of TurnHere) briefly yesterday who said that local video was really starting to take off — now that the sales channel issues have been solved.