As high as estimates that local search will grow to $81 billion by 2011 are, recent trends make them seem rather plausible. It is little surprise, then, that HelloMetro has fixed its sights on the North American market and launched 1,400 local engines. Their approach to entering the marketplace, moreover, is not just mindful of current trends in the marketplace, but notably non-antagonistic. Consequently, HelloMetro may very well be poised to establish itself a force in the marketplace for local search.

First, rather than trying to compete with incumbents such as the Yellow Pages, HelloMetro is actually working with them. Secondly, it has embraced trends in UGC, offering a more enriching user experience than its larger, Yellow counterpart. Finally, HelloMetro is fully engaging the local search engine space by making itself accessible to users on the go. As the press release explains:

Jeffersonville, IN (PRWEB) October 5, 2007 -- HelloMetro.com has announced the addition of 750 new local search unique domains in additional cities around the world, bringing the company's total website count to 1,400. With the new website addresses, cities large and small throughout the United States and around the world have a completely localized site where citizens can access city-specific information such as weather, lottery results, sports scores, Yellow Pages and White Pages directories. HelloMetro has also added more than 1,400 dotMobi websites to the company's portfolio bringing its total count to 3,000 unique domains.
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All HelloMetro websites also include job service and real estate information links, up-to-date lottery results, local weather and sports scores, area restaurant and attraction guides, local history guides, movie showtimes, and printable city brochures, maps and event calendars. A local blogging feature has also become extremely popular as it allows local residents a chance to write about local events and happenings in a completely local forum.

HelloMetro's dotMobi websites have been specially formatted for a mobile phone's screen and bandwidth, enabling users to access HelloMetro local internet sites on-the-go without having to wait until they have access to a computer. The dotMobi websites can be accessed via mobile phone browsers by replacing the .com address with .mobi (i.e., www.HelloChicago.mobi, www.HelloDenver.mobi.)

Although Yellow Pages has been slow to adapt to the changing marketplace, the SEO advantages of an IYP listing mean that advertisers would be foolish to pass one up. Furthermore, the IYP arguably has the most comprehensive local databases around. Therefore, trying to compete with them point for point would not only be a protracted endeavour, but an expensive one.

By working with them, however, HelloMetro enjoys a strategic exchange through which they gain access to those databases. Basically, partnering with the IYP affords them the opportunity to cement a relationship with a massive incumbent while the incumbent enjoys the breathing room they need to adapt to a changing online landscape. This is advantageous because a giant such as the IYP will undoubtedly catch up, and when they do, they will still have sufficient resources to challenge many of the newer players on the local search market. Not only no having to worry about that level of competition, but benefiting from it will make all the difference for portals that hope to remain an established force in the local search marketplace.

After all, in the last seven months alone, the local search market has been aggressively saturated. First Search Big Daddy enticed advertisers with free advertising. Then, ZipLocal.com's Web 2.0 functionality won A-list attention from Search Engine Land. This summer, PR Web jumped on the local search bandwagon by offering localized news feeds. Finally, more notably, one of the forefathers of the internet, Network Solutions launched a local vertical called ThinkLocal.com, which indexes only business' website (so cool, long overdue).

Any competitive advantage that can been gained over such other players (especially giant like Network Solutions) will be integral for the long-term viability of anyone entering the local search marketplace. By both partnering on another incumbent and giving its user-base a tangible incentive to choose their portal over the competition (including IYP), HelloMetro may have the staying power that many of these local search moonlighters lack.