Local search might sound like a basic concept but, like all things, the major search engines have turned it into a resource that demands us to ask what we did without it.

Whilst traditional local business resources like the Yellow Pages can provide basic business information and links to websites when you search by category or location, they have their limitations and it is by teaming search engine expertise with directory expertise that the best service can be provided to consumers.

Google Local
Recently released, Google Local is the result of Google getting together with yell.com to find relevant businesses near you. When you type in a query to Google Local, or a query and your postcode into the regular Google searchbox, the search engine will trawl through the web, looking for the most relevant pages to your search terms and then cross-reference those with yell.com to categorise them into the ones that are closest to you. For a searcher, this is the bets of bost worlds; relevancy and location. For the business owner, it is an opportunity to appeal to a local market, which is particularly important for tradesmen and small businesses that depend on local custom.

Yahoo! Local
Yahoo's local search works in a similar way to Google's and Yahoo! have added additional features to keep searchers on the site and to help them find what they're looking for. For example, you can see what the most popular searches in your area are for the week, or plot the businesses you have found on a map of your area, or get recommendations from other users.

Both search engines are creating a local community through these websites, and offering additional features that they hope will create search loyalty. The more people become aware of these sites, the more they will be used, and the more important it will be for your website to be designed and optimised to take advantage of the opportunities they bring.