Yell Launches U.K. Syndication Product

U.K. directory publisher Yell has launched a new syndication product called netReach, which serves search contextually relevant results from Yell.com onto a network of syndication partners. The product is launching with a half-dozen partner sites, including the Manchester Evening News, Multimap and Genie Knows. The three companies participated in a trial of netReach from November 2007 through January 2008.

Yell is the leading directory publisher in the U.K., and it has a fast growing IYP business in Yell.com. Until now the company has lacked a syndication product. Rival Thomson Local offers a similar product, as does BT Phone Book. The latter recently launched BT Web Clicks, which offers SMBs an SEM product starting at GBP 40 per month.

All the main U.K. directory players are eager to expand their online operations as rapidly as possible in order to capture share of wallet in an increasingly competitive online environment.

In its most recent reporting period, Yell generated 19 percent of its revenues from Yell.com, which posted a 49 percent growth rate for the period ended Dec. 31, 2007.