Search marketing is quickly becoming the new standard, replacing the yellow pages as the go-to place for consumer searches. Lead by the tech savvy younger generations, consumers know that a quick trip to a search engine will yield quicker more relevant results for a local pizza parlor, a roofer, an auto body shop, or a web designer. Google leads the way as the yellow page killer simply by building a better form of search.

Search marketing has improved the process for both the consumer and the marketer. From a marketer’s perspective, search engines have effectively killed the yellow pages by out-performing them in three unique areas.

Analytics: Search marketing is much more appealing to metric hungry marketers. Search marketing provides rich, in-depth analytics. You can get traffic information, conversion rates, impressions, clicks, bounce rates and more. And now with the new Google Local Business Center, marketers and small business owners can get detailed stats outlining crucial metrics. Yellow pages provide zero metrics. The only way you can track your success is through inbound phone calls.

Flexibility: Search marketing with pay-per-click gives you the ability to modify your ads on the fly. You can quickly respond to competitive pressure and you can continually improve the performance and position of your ad using the built-in analytics. Unlike the yellow pages, which require you to sign a one-year contract, you can use ad words at your disposal.

Control: With search marketing, you direct the consumers to the relevant content you want them to view. You can present different messages and ad copy using multiple ad versions. You are able to use landing pages to convert leads. In short, your ad is more than just a piece of paper; it is a dynamic, informative portal leading to more information that aids in the selling process.

Despite all the up sides to search marketing, I continually come across small businesses and clients who rely too heavily on the yellow pages. Many small businesses still make the yellow pages a substantial portion of their yearly marketing budget. The yellow pages continue to be a huge industry. According to Simba Information, the “U.S. yellow pages revenue is expected to total $16.54 billion in 2009. ″

Like many things in business, our marketing expenses are often institutionalized and remain in use even when better alternatives exist. Take a good look at your marketing budget and see if you can put your yellow page spending in a better place. My recommendation is to reduce or eliminate your yellow page spending, opting instead for ad word search marketing and a continual search engine optimization (SEO) campaign. Search marketing will likely give your small business more bang for your buck.