ReachLocal
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital marketing services |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Zorik Gordon, Nathan Hanks, Michael Kline, Robert Wright, John Mazur, Robert "Rick" Spitz |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom |
Key people | Sharon Rowlands (former CEO), Kevin Gentzel (president of USA TODAY Network Marketing Solutions) |
Number of employees | 1300+ (2017) |
| Parent | Gannett |
LocaliQ (previously known as ReachLocal) operates as a division under Gannett, delivering digital marketing services throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The brand LocaliQ is utilized in the US, Canada, and the UK.[1][2]
History
ReachLocal was established in 2003 by founders Zorik Gordon, Nathan Hanks, Michael Kline, Robert Wright, John Mazur, and Robert "Rick" Spitz.
The company’s first offering was ReachSearch, a search engine advertising platform that placed ads on major search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. Over time, the product portfolio expanded to include solutions like ReachEdge, which focuses on lead conversion management.
In 2010, ReachLocal went public through an initial public offering (IPO), supported by venture capital investors including VantagePoint Venture Partners, Rho Ventures, and Galleon Special Opportunities Partners Fund LP.
In February 2011, ReachLocal acquired DealOn, a platform specializing in local deals, for around $10 million.
Sharon Rowlands took over as CEO in April 2014, following the interim leadership of David Carlick.
Gannett completed its acquisition of ReachLocal in June 2016 for approximately $156 million.
In January 2019, Kevin Gentzel was named president of USA TODAY Network Marketing Solutions after Rowlands moved to become CEO of Web.com.
By February 2023, ReachLocal had rebranded its operations in the US and Canada under the LocaliQ name.[1]
Staff and clients
By March 2017, ReachLocal employed more than 1,300 professionals across 68 offices worldwide including locations in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Austria, India, Belgium, and Japan. As of February 2016, the company supported over 17,000 active customers.
Services
ReachLocal provides a broad range of digital marketing solutions aimed at accelerating business growth. Introduced in 2005, ReachSearch offers targeted search engine advertising designed to generate leads through text ads on key search platforms.
In 2009, the company expanded into online display advertising with ReachDisplay, which places banner advertisements on high-quality websites. Subsequent launches included ReachCast for web marketing and ReachRemarketing for site retargeting in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The product lineup grew with ReachRetargeting in 2012 and ReachEdge in 2013—a comprehensive website and lead management tool that improves client conversion rates. ReachSEO was added in 2014 to enhance search engine optimization efforts. In 2015, ReachListings was introduced to manage local business listings.
In 2016, ReachLocal upgraded its portfolio by launching ReachSocial Ads—a programmatic Facebook advertising service managed by certified professionals—alongside an improved version of ReachSEO designed to boost local search visibility and traffic.
Technology
The company has engineered solutions that enable clients to launch campaigns while monitoring, enhancing, and analyzing outcomes across its offerings. In September 2012, it unveiled its inaugural mobile application, which provided clients with instant lead alerts and detailed reports, followed by the introduction of the ReachEdge app in 2013.
ReachEdge serves as the firm's marketing automation system, combining a website, lead management tools, and a mobile application to deliver clients comprehensive lead data, origins, necessary follow-ups, performance insights, and reporting capabilities.
In February 2014, ReachLocal expanded its technological suite by launching LigerMobile, an open-source platform designed to facilitate hybrid app development.