Taking merchant content and syndicating it across a bunch of channels is a key effort for Local Matters, the tech firm now being led by CEO Tom Higley. Speaking at DMS ’11 in Denver, Higley said the company’s new “DigitalSeen” product is an example of the new environment that is evolving to serve merchants and put them in a closer proximity to revenues. Working with merchants won’t work if it is “doing business as usual,” he said.

“I’m a start-up guy, a tech guy,” he said. “You can actually hold forth on a vision and prove if it works or doesn’t work. You don’t need to put the whole company at risk to do so.”

Engagement features are also important. “It is about more than search,” said Higley. He noted that Local Matters is focused on a set of questions, such as: How do I connect? How are my friends engaged? What kind of continuity is there with the account? “These things are nascent. We are just beginning to explore these things. But they are closing the loop in the online and offline space.”