What’s the Yellow Pages?

Print anything with Printful



Yellow pages are the business section of a telephone directory, separated from residential listings. Originating in the US in the early 20th century, it has spread worldwide and now includes online directories with advertising opportunities. Consumers search by business type or name.

The term yellow pages is used to refer to the business section of a telephone directory, which is conventionally separate from the residential section in large cities. The separation of business and residential listings in a telephone directory appears to have originated in the United States, which began using and referring to the yellow pages in the early 20th century. Since then, the concept has spread to other nations, including non-English speaking ones, and in some countries it is a branded term rather than a generic one.

The idea of ​​an alphabetical telephone directory covering a given geographic region also originated in the United States in Connecticut in 1878. Along with names and telephone numbers, the directory usually included the subscriber’s address, along with their profession. Less than twenty years later, most telephone directories were separated into business and residential listings, allowing consumers to search for businesses by name or type, and the separation began to be indicated with pages printed on yellow paper instead of the white one normally used. for residences. listings.

Originally, the Yellow Pages took the form of the White Pages, a series of listings arranged alphabetically in an easy-to-read font of uniform size. However, directory publishers quickly realized the advertising potential, and most modern yellow pages offer advertising opportunities. Businesses can enlarge or bold the typeface used for their business, as well as purchase advertisements in the yellow pages section to attract consumers’ attention. Many phone books also allow advertisements or color text to attract even more attention.

Generally, the yellow pages of a telephone directory are distributed free of charge to all area telephone subscribers, including those with unlisted, private, or ex-directory telephone numbers. To look for something in the yellow pages, consumers typically search by type of business. For example, if someone needs new glasses, he or she will look up “optometrists” in the yellow pages. In some cases, the yellow pages also include an alphabetical listing of all businesses in the area so that a consumer can search for a specific business.

The term has also made its way to the Internet, in the form of online yellow pages, business directory sites that allow people to find companies listed across the country. Various websites provide online yellow pages, often networking with various phone companies and allowing companies to place advertisements and provide more information about themselves, including a web address.

Asset Smart.




Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN


Skip to content