Hot off last August’s announcement that R.H. Donnelley (No. 3 Yellow Pages publisher in the US) had begun selling ad placements in Yahoo! Local, comes today’s news that Canada’s Yellow Pages Group will begin reselling Google AdWords advertisements.

Its agreement with Google allows Yellow Pages approximately 425,000 advertisers to appear alongside Google search results. Previously, Google Local or ‘Maps’ would display only names and addresses of Yellow Pages’ businesses next to results from searches on local information.

Yellow Pages Group has been working with Google since 2004, when they struck an agreement granting the Internet giant access to its databases and, quietly I may add, began embedding Google AdWords on its websites earlier this year.

Of all the social media sites out there, StumbleUpon is by far my favorite.

From an SEO standpoint, I’ve used it to generate instant traffic and awareness of client websites and, from a personal standpoint, I’ve used it to discover hundreds more websites than I ever could through traditional search.

This week I’m taking a look StumbleUpon, by the numbers:

• StumbleUpon was created in 2001 by three friends who were still finishing off post-graduate studies in Calgary, Canada.

• Silicon Valley investor Brad O’Neill assisted with a move to San Francisco and the initial round of $1.2 million in fund-raising.

The beauty of social networks is that they engage users and facilitate enjoyable forums to discuss a variety of topics.

One of the significant trends of social networks is that they are beginning to develop a distinct local flavour. Facebook
alone has over 1 million members from Toronto.

With this level of engagement it’s tough for traditional local print media to ignore, particularly the Yellow Pages, who have among the most complete local online business listings around. So when will Yellow Pages become social? According to Darby Seiben, Senior Manager - Traffic, Distribution and eProduct Management with YellowPages.ca, they already have.

The most popular question I’ve been asked by co-workers, associates and friends upon my arrival has been “why did you leave the Yellow Pages?”. The question doesn’t appear ominous until you consider the smug look on their faces. Immediately, I know what they’re thinking. They’ve read Bill Gates’ now infamous quote “Yellow Pages usage among people below 50 will drop to near zero in the next five years.” Their perception is that I jumped from a sinking ship. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

It reminds me of a scene in Monty PythonÂ’s “Holy Grail”….Â…

In June the Quebec news portal Branchez-Vous (freely translated: connect!) bought 51% of Quebec video site TonClip. Since then it has integrated the video site into its main portal, skinning and branding the page as part of Branchez-Vous.

While Branchez-Vous covers a wide area of news, TonClip’s focus since its start in October 2006 had been Quebec video. This does and doesn’t work. TonClip carries a lot of the same material other video sites do. The usual viral videos, gags, jokes, car crashes, music clips, etc.

At the same time it does contain more videos which are at least in the French language. Not all of those come from Quebec, by the way.

(English version) Vous avez vu vos parents le faire. Vous avez besoin d’un plombier? Regarder dans les pages jaunes. Vous d販rez trouver un dentiste? Feuilletez les pages jaunes.

CÂ’est une institution, LA norme, la faæ®® de trouver un commerce prç± de chez vous.

Les Pages Jaunes ont d衵t矬a m鬥 ann裠que les verres de papier ont 赩 inventè±® La m鬥 ann裠que le premier Model T est sorti de la chaí­¥ de production . CÂ’est aussi lÂ’ann裠o�papier cellophane a vu le jour. Nous 賩ons en 1908.

CÂ’est bien vrai: Les Pages Jaunes ont presque cent ans.

Il va de soi, 賡blies 22 ans avant le premier ordinateur analogique (le *differential analyzer*) et 43 ans avant que le premier ordinateur commercial soit mis en march砻( appel硩trangement Univac 1), Les Pages Jaunes ne peuvent qu’esp豥r avoir un avenir similaire �elui des dinosaures. Non?

Faux!

Le r貥au des Pages Jaunes au Canada( maintenu par le Groupe Yellow Pages) se situe au 7eme rang des sites les plus visit豠par les canadiens, atteignant 43% des canadiens en ligne �n rythme de 9.9 millions de visiteurs �haque mois.

C’est un exploit assez remarquable, sp袩alement si l’on consid籥 combien cela demande de travail au niveau des moteurs de recherche d’attraper une part du march矬ocal search.

(version franæ ©se) You saw your parents do it. Need a plumber? Check the Yellow Pages. Find another dentist? Browse the Yellow Pages.

It’s an Institute, the de facto standard for finding a business near you.

The Yellow Pages started in the same year paper cups were invented. The same year the first Ford T’s rolled of the production line. It was the year cellophane was invented. It was 1908.

That’s right: Yellow Pages goes back almost 100 year.

In what may well be a sign of things to come, it appears Google has removed 30% of organic listings on local market searches in some markets.

Note that in the above images, local maps appear, however, where there was once 10 organic listings there are now 7.

Do maps qualify as organic results?

Could Google increase the page to put the 10 listings back? That would mean they have to reassess the paid landscape on the side and that’s unlikely.

These results are not typical of Google.com, but are pervasive in alternate Googles.

There is an absolutely fascinating article on TheStreet.com (also interesting because the URL string tracks the source): eBay Snub Suggests Google’s Big Troubles.

It’s not so much interesting because it espouses everything I’ve said for the past couple months, not the least of which include the whole ebay thing and the fact that the loss or removel of paid advertising does not necessarily impact traffic IF (BIG IF) you have the organic results in place. (BTW ebay does, both in organic listings and in product listings.)

It’s coming, Search Engine Strategies - Toronto - 2007.

For the 2nd year in a row, Search Engine People is sponsoring the conference. Not only because we’re good corporate citizens. Not only because a couple of us will be speaking.

But because it’s an opportunity to become more entrenched in what we do every day. And because it’s an opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with some of the familiar faces in our business. And because it’s an opportunity to meet some of the new faces in the business.