LocaliQ Expands Online Search Offering

Rhea-AI Summary

LocaliQ, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), has expanded its Search Ads product by adding Yelp Ads to its offerings. This addition allows LocaliQ customers to reach Yelp's high-intent audience of over 74 million monthly users. The integration began in June 2024, with 60% of campaigns seeing stabilized or improved cost per lead while increasing audience diversification.

LocaliQ's Search Ads use proprietary technology to optimize campaigns across multiple search engines, including Google and Bing. To be eligible for Yelp Ads, businesses must have a Yelp page with accurate information, photos, and a minimum 3-star rating. This expansion aims to provide small to mid-sized businesses with more effective and efficient ways to connect with potential customers and grow their businesses.

Positive

• Addition of Yelp Ads to LocaliQ's Search Ads product, expanding reach to 74 million monthly Yelp users
• 60% of campaigns with Yelp integration saw stabilized or improved cost per lead
• Increased audience diversification for advertising campaigns
• Proprietary technology optimizes campaigns across multiple search engines

Negative

• None.

Digital Marketing Analyst

LocaliQ's expansion of its Search Ads product to include Yelp Ads is a strategic move in the competitive digital marketing landscape. This integration allows LocaliQ to tap into Yelp's high-intent audience, potentially increasing the effectiveness of their clients' advertising campaigns. The reported 60% of campaigns seeing stabilized or improved cost per lead is promising, suggesting enhanced ROI for advertisers.

However, it's important to note that the success of this integration depends heavily on businesses meeting Yelp's eligibility criteria, including maintaining a 3-star average rating or higher. This requirement could limit accessibility for some clients and may necessitate additional reputation management efforts. The move also highlights the growing importance of diversified search strategies beyond traditional search engines, reflecting evolving consumer behavior in local business discovery.

Financial Analyst

While specific financial figures are not provided, this expansion has potential positive implications for Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI). By enhancing LocaliQ's product offering, Gannett could see increased revenue from its digital marketing solutions segment. The partnership with Yelp, a well-established platform, may also boost LocaliQ's market position and attract more small to mid-sized business clients.

However, investors should be cautious. The digital advertising market is highly competitive and the success of this expansion will depend on LocaliQ's ability to deliver measurable results to clients consistently. The company's overall financial health and the performance of its other segments, particularly its traditional media businesses, should be considered when evaluating the impact of this development on Gannett's stock performance.

Yelp Ads Augment Advertising Opportunities Available to Customers and Businesses

NEW YORK, NY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LocaliQ Digital Marketing Solutions (DMS), part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), continues to expand its best-in-class solutions for small to mid-sized businesses. The latest offering introduces Yelp Ads to LocaliQ’s Search Ads product, which is designed and optimized to enable LocaliQ customers to be in front of their target customers at exactly the right time.

LocaliQ’s Search Ads are powered by proprietary technology that optimizes a single campaign budget across multiple search engines, including Google and Bing, driving traffic to the best keywords and publishers, resulting in the highest volume and highest-quality leads for a customer’s budget. With the addition of Yelp Ads, qualifying customers can reach Yelp’s high-intent audiences, including more than 74 million people who search for goods and services each month¹. According to Yelp, 83 percent of its users spend with a business they found on Yelp, and 57 percent of users contact a business they found on Yelp within a day².

“LocaliQ’s fully optimized search offerings enable our customers to effectively and efficiently connect with their ideal prospects and grow their businesses by bringing in more qualified leads at a lower overall cost,” said Chris Cho, President of LocaliQ. “By further diversifying the publishers included in search campaigns, we’re giving our customers access to even more potential prospects. The results of our pilot campaigns with Yelp have been impressive, and we look forward to continuing to expand the offering to help our customers reach their goals.”

LocaliQ began rolling out access to Yelp Ads to qualifying customers in June 2024. Since then, 60 percent of campaigns with Yelp have seen their cost per lead stabilize or improve while increasing audience diversification. To add Yelp to their Search Ads campaign, LocaliQ customers must have a Yelp business page with the following: accurate contact information and business hours, a short description of the business, a minimum of two profile pictures, a website link, and a three-star average rating or higher (businesses without Yelp reviews are also eligible).

LocaliQ leverages decades of experience as a leader in the small business digital marketing space to deliver innovative search solutions, including AI-powered search optimizations, for business owners and marketers. LocaliQ’s Search Ads are search engine-agnostic, fully optimized, and give small businesses the ability to be where 98 percent of consumers search. Search Ads will continue to leverage LocaliQ’s proprietary technology to manage and optimize customer’s search marketing campaigns based on their unique advertising objectives and budgets to maximize results.

​For more information about LocaliQ’s Search Ads, visit https://localiq.com/products/search-ads/.

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1 Comscore Media Metrix, Desktop 2+ and Total Mobile 18+, Average of January - December 2023.

2 Based on a survey conducted by Yelp in August 2022. Methodology used Comscore demographics and people who reported having used Yelp in the prior 3 months.

ABOUT GANNETT

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a scalable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. We endeavor to deliver essential content, marketing solutions, and experiences for curated audiences, advertisers, consumers, and stakeholders by leveraging our diverse teams and suite of products to enrich the local communities and businesses we serve. Our current portfolio of trusted media brands includes the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, uses innovation and software to enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow, and USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures, our events division, creates impactful consumer engagements, promotions, and races.

ABOUT LOCALIQ

LocaliQ is an all-in-one marketing platform used by local businesses across the country to attract, convert and retain customers. A subsidiary of Gannett, LocaliQ has the local trust to evolve the way business owners reach the audiences that matter most. LocaliQ's proprietary technology leverages data and insights to optimize cross-channel marketing and deliver relevant messages to consumers with a robust suite that incorporates marketing automation, channel campaign management, CRM, and insight tools. In this digital world, we're on a mission to keep businesses thriving to empower the communities we serve. For more information, visit www.localiq.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements relating to whether the transaction will drive Gannett’s revenue and cash flow growth, or result in an expansion of Gannett’s client base, are all forward looking statements. These statements represent our opinions, expectations, beliefs, intentions, estimates or strategies regarding the future, which may not be realized. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict,” “potential,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “ongoing,” “future” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are based largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies, changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially and/or significantly different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. For a discussion of some of the risks and important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, see the risks and other factors detailed in Gannett’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Gannett’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and each of Gannett’s other filings with the SEC, in each case as such factors may be updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Gannett disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240904610749/en/

Kate Rambo

LocaliQ

krambo1@gannett.com

Lark-Marie Antón

Gannett I USA TODAY Network

lark@gannett.com

Source: Gannett Co., Inc.

FAQ

What new feature has LocaliQ added to its Search Ads product for GCI?

LocaliQ has added Yelp Ads to its Search Ads product, allowing customers to reach Yelp's high-intent audience of over 74 million monthly users.

When did LocaliQ start rolling out Yelp Ads integration for GCI customers?

LocaliQ began rolling out access to Yelp Ads to qualifying customers in June 2024.

What percentage of LocaliQ campaigns with Yelp integration saw improved results for GCI?

60% of campaigns with Yelp integration saw their cost per lead stabilize or improve while increasing audience diversification.

What are the requirements for a business to add Yelp to their LocaliQ Search Ads campaign for GCI?

Businesses must have a Yelp page with accurate contact information, business hours, a short description, at least two profile pictures, a website link, and a minimum 3-star average rating (or no reviews).