Anyone may call 1-800-GOOG-411 and specify the local business, city and state they would like to search. Google Labs now released a free automated 411 service (Google Voice Local Search) to customers. Callers are offered two options: to be connected directly or receive the listing information through a text message with the name, address and telephone number of the local business.

    The company also changed the way people get and receive information with Google SMS. A message can be sent from a cell phone to 466453 (Google) with the name or category the sender would like searched together with the city and state or zip code. Google sends a text message back that includes the information the customer inquired about.

    The new Google Voice Local Search and SMS service appear to use the same local information found on Google Maps. If a business is not shown on Google Maps they do not have a chance for their business information to be given to the person requesting the information via text message. Instead, the businesses competitors' information will be given to the potential customers.

    Recent studies show 30% of every search on the Internet is local in nature, which means local consumers look for local merchants. As people use the Internet and cell phones more in their daily lives to obtain information, they use the print Yellow Pages less. A full 70% of U.S. households use the web to help make decisions when shopping locally for products and services. With the marketing power of Google behind a service that is offered to the consumer for free instead of paying for 411 calls, chances are the service will catch on with the general public.

    In addition to the Google Voice Local Search service, businesses must be certain that they are suitably included in the data base and the local search results of all of the major search engines and online Yellow Pages. New businesses and companies that have not purchased advertising in traditional print Yellow Page books are frequently left out of local search databases owned by Yahoo, Google, Verizon, AOL, MSN and others. Businesses that are included often have incorrect or incomplete data listed in one or more of the local search databases.

    Unless a business is included in the search results and provides accurate contact information there is no chance of getting found by a potential customer. Existing customers may be lured away by competitors just because they are being found when the consumer is ready to buy. Millions of searches are conducted every day on local search sites.

For more information visit http://www.getfoundlocal.com/