Yellow Pages content now searchable on Google

It’s been years since we looked at a print edition of the Yellow Pages, but even the online version of the venerable business directory doesn’t often attract our attention. Now the whole project has become more useful for a very simple reason: Sensis (the Telstra division that produces the Yellow Pages) has finally allowed Google’s robots to index Yellow Pages content, meaning that everyone’s favourite search engine now has access to Australian businesses which might otherwise never appear in online results. (The fact that it was ever blocked is frankly one of the weirdest Internet strategies imaginable, but that’s another story.)
We’re a tad sceptical that being in a Yellow Pages listing will result in businesses getting more visibility in Google search results, as Sensis claims (based on its existing high traffic). Nonetheless, knowing that non-tech-savvy businesses will now appear in search results is very useful. (Note: Existing Telstra mobile customers might want to stick with the Yellow site when on the road, if only because it’s free to access on many Next G plans.)