Consumers looking for local business information are increasingly turning to their mobile devices: The number of people who accessed Internet business directories on a mobile phone reached 17.3 million in March 2010, up 14% from the same period a year earlier, according to a study by the Yellow Pages Association (YPA).

By comparison, the number of total US mobile media users—those who browsed the mobile Web, used applications, or downloaded content during the month—grew 10% during the same time period.

Moreover, the number of people who accessed online business directories on a mobile device at least once a week reached nearly 5 million in March, up 16% from the previous year.

Below, other findings from the Local Search Study conducted by comScore for the YPA.

Access via Apps, Mobile Browsers

The mobile browser is the most common way to access business directories: 10.8 million mobile subscribers used a mobile browser to access an online business directory in March, up 21% from a year earlier.

But access via apps grew more rapidly: 4.1 million subscribers used mobile apps to access online business directories during the month, up 42% from a year earlier.

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Desirable Consumer Segment

Mobile subscribers who access business directories on a mobile phone are a young and affluent consumer segment:

• 58% are age 34 or younger.
• Over one-half have an annual household income of $75,000 or more.

In addition, such consumers are 3.5 times more likely than other mobile media users to access women's magazine content, health information, real-estate listings, and job listings via their mobile devices.

Sources of Traffic

Search engines accounted for 44% of referral traffic to Internet Yellow Pages in the first quarter of 2010, up three percentage points from 41% a year earlier.

Direct traffic accounted for 32% of traffic to Internet Yellow Pages, up four points from 28% a year earlier, while referrals from affiliate sites (advertisements, email marketing, and other partner sites) fell six points to 25%.

About the data: The comScore Local Search Study measured the real-life Internet browsing, buying, and transactional activity of roughly 1 million US Internet users who provided permission to be monitored. The mobile study, a combination of comScore MobiLens, Mobile Metrix, Ad Metrix Mobile, and Plan Metrix Mobile, was conducted for the Yellow Pages Association (YPA).