For local online advertisers, this means there is a big opportunity. With 82 percent of local business searches starting online (up from 63 percent in 2007), the demand is only getting stronger.

A closer look at the online ad industry shows that one segment — local — is not shrinking but thriving despite the tough times. Why? Numbers.

• There are 14.6 million small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) in the U.S.
• SMBs spent $6.7 billion in local interactive advertising in 2008
• SMBs are now investing in online advertising more than ever — it represents 11 percent of their advertising budget, up from 4 percent in 2006, according to a report from Borrell Associates

For local online advertisers, this means there is a big opportunity. With 82 percent of local business searches starting online (up from 63 percent in 2007), the demand is only getting stronger. Simply put, a subscription with the local yellow pages as your only marketing channel doesn’t have the impact it once did.

This also means there is a big opportunity for local business owners, like dentists, locksmiths, plastic surgeons, and even garage door repairmen. Take, for instance, online searches for garage door maintenance. Recent Yodle research shows that there are two times as many online searches for “garage door repair” as there are for “garage door install.”

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