Download yellow pages to excel or database?

PhillyDee · 29 Dec 2012 at 20:10

Ive seen a few programs to automatically grab a search from yell.com but they are all horifically expensive. Anyone got a handy method? Plugin for firefox, easy way around etc?

Currently from a quick search there are 353 lots of contact details I want.

dazzerd · 30 Dec 2012 at 20:57

You could write some vba to do this and dump it straight into a worksheet, but you will need to do some api calls to be able to grab the handle of the browser window. It's far from straightforward.

I suspect this has been done before by somebody so if you can find the code on the web and are competent in vba you should be able to modify it for your needs.

PhillyDee · 30 Dec 2012 at 23:41

Ive tried looking around, but found nothing! I was hoping some knowledgeble chap or chapess might have already had a go! I know very little about any PC programming, and am just about able to rewrite SQL queries. Thats the limit of my 'expertise'.

wonder_lander · 31 Dec 2012 at 20:54

Obviously this is against the terms of service of yellow pages but I've done something similar in the past albeit not personally!

Raise a job on oDesk and get people to bid for the task. People will already have some scripts to grab data from yellow pages so it will be a cheap job to do.

Relapse · 2 Jan 2013 at 12:10

A lot of the information in Yellow Pages is out of date. I reckon at least 10% of the companies don't even exist any more. Considering how much they charge, you'd think they'd keep the directory tidier. Most of the inaccurate information they hold is from companies that don't even pay them anything.

PhillyDee · 2 Jan 2013 at 12:26

Pretty much the only resource out there really! I need a starting point first, then I can verify or refine from there. If there is a better source, then I would be grateful for a link or refernce!

Relapse · 2 Jan 2013 at 13:42

A few years ago, I was forced to do a mailshot by my boss after I tried to explain to him the basics of SEO.

I made a shortlist of 400 candidates, and in response, I got a single request for a 10% discount from someone who, unbeknownst to me, was an existing customer.

Honestly, my mailshot wasn't even that bad.

Good luck if you decide to go ahead with yours.

You couldn't do much worse than me.