Web-Est recently published an article regarding the effectiveness of search engine local listings with specific emphasis on Google Places, which can be used free of charge.
"Google Places gives businesses a chance to connect with consumers in a specified location by listing the business online in a Yellow Pages-like directory that appears to a consumer every time they search particular terms in Google’s search engine," said J.R. Seidel, director of internet marketing at Web-Est.
More information:
See the full article at Web-Est’s Auto Body Marketing Blog