technology has grown to the point where a person’s geographic location can be pinpointed and the user can be presented with local businesses and other nearby locations. Users can then view the phone numbers, the address, or the Web site of that business. Some services even allow users to get directions directly to a business from their current location. This is known as localized search.

Because search engine compa

Philadelphia businesses are beginning to see an increase in customers due to the popularity of mobile technology and locally targeted Internet advertising.

You may be one of the people who do realize that we are at a new beginning of behavioral change in this country. As more and more Americans are catching onto the latest phase of the mobile device evolution, we are becoming more comfortable with getting our information from our mobile devices instead of PC’s, newspapers, and the yellow pages. Mobile devices such as cell phones, PDA phones, and Blackberry’s are giving people an alternative way to get information on the go or when they are away from the home or office.

As a business owner, it is important to recognize this change early on, and capitalize on it.

Mobile phone usage in America is increasing and evolving at a rapid pace. Mobile technology has drastically changed the way we interact with the world since hitting the market. According to the AOL-Pew survey, Americans would like to be able to use their phones to:

* Use mobile maps: 51 percent

* Send text messages: 48 percent

* Take pictures: 47 percent

* Play games: 34 percent

* Send mobile e-mail: 32 percent

* Use mobile search: 31 percent

* Play music: 25 percent

* Record video: 23 percent

It is important to understand that as the usage of mobile technology grows, people will become more comfortable with additional features and Web based services. This opens a new door for local businesses to reach new customers using the Internet.

How? Let me explain.

Along with mobile technology, Internet search engines are evolving as well. Search technology has grown to the point where a person’s geographic location can be pinpointed and the user can be presented with local businesses and other nearby locations. Users can then view the phone numbers, the address, or the Web site of that business. Some services even allow users to get directions directly to a business from their current location. This is known as localized search.

Because search engine compan

ion from our mobile devices instead of PC’s, newspapers, and the yellow pages. Mobile devices such as cell phones, PDA phones, and Blackberry’s are giving people an alternative way to get information on the go or when they are away from the home or office.

As a business owner, it is important to recognize this change early on, and capitalize on it.

Mobile phone usage in America is increasing and evolving at a rapid pace. Mobile technology has drastically changed the way we interact with the world since hitting the market. According to the AOL-Pew survey, Americans would like to be able to use their phones to:

* Use mobile maps: 51 percent

* Send text messages: 48 percent

* Take pictures: 47 percent

* Play games: 34 percent

* Send mobile e-mail: 32 percent

* Use mobile search: 31 percent

* Play music: 25 percent

* Record video: 23 percent

It is important to understand that as the usage of mobile technology grows, people will become more comfortable with additional features and Web based services. This opens a new door for local businesses to reach new customers using the Internet.

How? Let me explain.

Along with mobile technology, Internet search engines are evolving as well. Search technology has grown to the point where a person’s geographic location can be pinpointed and the user can be presented with local businesses and other nearby locations. Users can then view the phone numbers, the address, or the Web site of that business. Some services even allow users to get directions directly to a business from their current location. This is known as localized search.

Because search engine compa

pid pace. Mobile technology has drastically changed the way we interact with the world since hitting the market. According to the AOL-Pew survey, Americans would like to be able to use their phones to:

* Use mobile maps: 51 percent

* Send text messages: 48 percent

* Take pictures: 47 percent

* Play games: 34 percent

* Send mobile e-mail: 32 percent

* Use mobile search: 31 percent

* Play music: 25 percent

* Record video: 23 percent

It is important to understand that as the usage of mobile technology grows, people will become more comfortable with additional features and Web based services. This opens a new door for local businesses to reach new customers using the Internet.

How? Let me explain.

Along with mobile technology, Internet search engines are evolving as well. Search technology has grown to the point where a person’s geographic location can be pinpointed and the user can be presented with local businesses and other nearby locations. Users can then view the phone numbers, the address, or the Web site of that business. Some services even allow users to get directions directly to a business from their current location. This is known as localized search.

Because search engine compa

Play music: 25 percent

* Record video: 23 percent

It is important to understand that as the usage of mobile technology grows, people will become more comfortable with additional features and Web based services. This opens a new door for local businesses to reach new customers using the Internet.

How? Let me explain.

Along with mobile technology, Internet search engines are evolving as well. Search technology has grown to the point where a person’s geographic location can be pinpointed and the user can be presented with local businesses and other nearby locations. Users can then view the phone numbers, the address, or the Web site of that business. Some services even allow users to get directions directly to a business from their current location. This is known as localized search.

Because search engine compa

technology has grown to the point where a person’s geographic location can be pinpointed and the user can be presented with local businesses and other nearby locations. Users can then view the phone numbers, the address, or the Web site of that business. Some services even allow users to get directions directly to a business from their current location. This is known as localized search.

Because search engine companies like Google are making localized search more efficient and giving users more options localized search is becoming more common placed and will eventually take over the yellow pages as the average person’s primary means for getting local business information.

Let’s say you own a pizza shop in Center City Philadelphia and the Johnson family just happens to be traveling up Market St and they want some pizza for lunch.

Totally unfamiliar with the area, the Johnson’s teenage son uses Google Mobile to find the closet pizza shop to 4th & Market Streets in Philadelphia.

Will your business be the first one to show up on my cell phone or not?

To draw a parallel, your business showing up first in the local search results for Philadelphia is like being the first business listed in the yellow pages except the yellow pages can’t tell the person how to get there or tell them which business is closest. It’s far more sophisticated, far more appealing, and far more convenient than the yellow pages. And it’s only time before everyone is doing it!

Any businesses in Philadelphia can benefit from a well designed and executed localized search marketing campaign. If your business advertises or can advertise in the yellow pages, you should also be running a local search ad campaign in Philadelphia.

Start a local search advertising campaign today. It’s smart to get your business listed early because the longer you wait the harder and more costly it will be to do later. Especially when your competition is already ahead of you!