Hooking up portability and Internet access

Local Search brings the search power of the Internet to even the smallest businesses, located in their own hometowns. The use of cell phones is another trend that shows no signs of slowing down. It makes sense that these two highly popular trends hook up.

People want Internet access with search-engine results—and portability, too. That's reversing another trend toward ever-smaller cell phones. New models and devices are being created with larger screens, so they can display more search results.

Get Local Search results on your cell phone

Add greater convenience to your searches, now that Google started Local Mobile Search in March, 2005. http://mobile.google.com/loc_search.html Google Local lets youfind everything from restaurants to retail outlets using your mobile phone.

This option is available in most American cities. People can access the mobile web browser on any mobile phone or device that supports XHTML (WAP 2.0).

Visualize yourself driving down the street, and you decide you want sushi. You park (please do not drive while searching; that makes you a road risk), grab your cell phone, and enter "your town" plus “sushi” into Google. Within seconds you know your choices. You can even use the driving directions, maps and “click to call,” if you have a question.

Now, that’s miles ahead of finding a payphone, then digging through the directory, assuming there is one.

How to conduct a Local Search from your cell phone

• Type http://mobile.google.com/local
• Enter your local search query in the ’What’ box
• Enter your location in the ’Where’ box
• Select and hit the “Google Search” button
• Scroll through your search results
• Locate a business'’s exact location
• Get driving directions to your desired location
• Place a call directly to a listed business

Callers can also get Local Search results by going to the Google home page on the phone's web browser   http://www.google.com/xhtml

Time to get listed so you’ll appear in search results

Given the widespread use of cell phones, Google’s new feature creates an immediate impact. People on the go (and who isn’t, anymore?) will have less reason than ever to look in the printed Yellow Page directory.