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Local.com taps geo-targeted video ads

Site that focuses on localized searches is bringing local video advertising to its Web pages.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger

Local.com, a search site that helps people find places in and information about their community, said Thursday it will start integrating local video ads throughout the company's site in an attempt to increase ad relevance and revenue.

According to the company, it has inked a deal with Jivox, an online video advertising company catering to local businesses, to use its geo-targeted ads for now. Local.com hopes to sell its own local video ad units through its own list of advertisers at some point in the future.

"We believe that video advertising provides consumers with relevant, timely information about local businesses, products and services," Kim LaFleur, Local.com's vice president of product management, said in a statement. "It's natural for video to be integrated into our local search ecosystem over time."

Targeting people based on their locale is becoming an emerging trend in the marketplace. Just Wednesday, real-estate search site Trulia announced it is partnering with 1020 Placecast to target individuals based on their location.

As advertisers become increasingly concerned over the effectiveness of ads, relevance through geographic location could become a coveted attribute.