According to Search Engine Watch 30% of searches contain local info!

"At last check, 30 percent of all search engine queries contained a zip code, city name, or state. By answering local needs with mobile search, SEOs have the potential to turn local search listings into a modern day Yellow Pages -- for any piece of information one may need in real-time." William Flaiz Search Engine Watch

I am really not surprised by the recent popularity of portal sites. Or more accurately, selling the idea of constructing portal sites. If you look at your local businesses' web sites you can see how they need help. Seriously! Just some basic optimization would put them at the top of the SERPS. Over at the Warrior Forum there have been numerous offerings (WSOs) of how to capitalize on this trend. If you are a webmaster (is that term still used?), local business is ripe for the picking right now.