Local Online Ad Spend to Hit $2.9 Bil. in '07

Katy Bachman

SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 -

Local online ad spending is expected to hit $2.9 billion this year, up 38 percent over last year's $2.1 billion. By 2011, local online ad spend from local and national businesses will climb to $7.8, faster than total online advertising, according to an eMarketer report, Local Online Advertising: Measuring the Market.

While local online advertising is only 2.9 percent of all local ad spending, the pressure to pony up local ad dollars online is building as an increasing number of consumers use the Internet instead of a printed phone directory to find local businesses and services.

“As audiences continue migrating to the Web and away from traditional local media such as newspapers and radio, it’s only a matter of time before online local ad spend catches up with today’s reality,” said David Hallerman, senior analyst for eMarketer.