I’m going to Go Local for a couple of posts (like here). Small Business Trends has an article about “the top 5 ways people find local businesses according to Comscore“:

1. 31%  Visit a search engine – most research without a specific brand or business name in mind and a specific location (i.e. a plumber in Tampa, Florida).
2. 30% Look up a business in print in the Yellow Pages or White Pages.
3. 19% Use Internet directories – often to find a phone number.
4. 11% Look at local search sites like Google Maps or Yahoo Local (usually to get driving directions).
5. 3%   Get information from a newspaper or magazine.

What does this tell you? Search counts for 42%. You might want to have a strategy for that.  I find the YP number to be high until you consider that not everyone has a computer (with broadband and powered up all the time).  So you need to start measuring how folks find you. Seriously.