On August 3rd, Yahoo launched their Local Search Beta product. Yahoo Local is designed to serve as and perhaps replace the Yellow Pages, both Internet and book-based. The local search integrates Yahoo’s search technology, as well as Yahoo’s mapping function to help locate information on your local area query.
Yahoo’s Local Search Beta
Jeff Weiner, Senior Vice President of Yahoo Search and Marketplace had this to say about the launch, “A great search experience is about more than just offering users relevant and comprehensive Web search results. It’s also about creating an experience where we can quickly and easily provide users the answers they are seeking, whether it’s the best Italian restaurant in their neighborhood or the nearest museums while traveling.”
“This beta launch marks just the beginning of what we are capable of achieving with local and will continue to leverage our world-class search technology and content to provide the most valuable category-specific search solutions for our users.”
During the interview Brittany and I had with Yahoo at San Jose’s SES, we spoke with Grace Chen, a member of Yahoo Local’s product management team. During our discussion, Grace was very forth coming about the future of Yahoo Local, and shared some of the techniques used in preparing their local search product for launch.
When we began discussing Yahoo Local, Ken Norton stated that he believed Yahoo’s product is better than any other local search product out there (surprisingly:), although he does offer a couple of reasons why. He feels the content on Yahoo Local is far superior to the other local searches, because of their index and ability to deliver relevant results. In his opinion, this makes Yahoo’s local listings more attractive to users.
I asked Grace to discuss the techniques Yahoo Local uses to populate their index. One of the first things she clarified is that while Yahoo Local does make use of Yahoo Search’s index, they also have their own. In order to increase its population, they start by including the Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) database. This contains all of the necessary offline information on local business that may not have a web presence.
They also are partnered with a company that actually scans the text of book-bound directories into an electronic format that contains hours of operation, URLs, types of brands available, and other pertinent local business information. According to Grace, this is an example of the structured data that Yahoo Local uses.
To increase result relevance, Yahoo Local uses category-based indexing. They work with a number of experts in order to provide users with category specific listings, as well as cross-category results. Yahoo Local also uses their keyword information in an effort to improve relevance. This information is gathered from the same aggregators used to determine categorical listings. Also, with hopes of further increasing user satisfaction in local search, Yahoo Local will include Yahoo Shortcuts as part of the results listings.
When combined with the launch of Overture’s Local Match ad service, it is quite apparent that Yahoo has set their sites on developing a strong local presence, while improving upon the current standard. By using multiple methods in populating their database and by paying close attention to result relevance, Yahoo has introduced a local search product to be reckoned with.
The question lies, will these local search engines, not just Yahoo’s, ever be able to unseat Yellow Pages, online or otherwise, as the choice of people looking for locally-based information. For now, search engines seem to be limited to quests for information.
When people need to research a topic, they turn to Yahoo, Google, and the like. However, when people need to look for a local mechanic, they still turn to the book-based Yellow Pages. This is what Yahoo and all the others that venture into the local search arena are going to be fighting against besides each other, of course.
One thing that I regret not asking was whether or not Yahoo Local plans to use Overture’s recently launched ad service, Local Match. One would have to imagine that one was designed with the other in mind. Overture’s description of this service states: “You select keywords that apply to your business and write a description that accurately describes the products or services you offer. Then, you choose a geographic area (0.5-to 100-mile radius around your location) in which your ad will be seen.”
Being that ANY local search is zip code and location-based, this would seem like a match made in heaven. Well, advertising heaven, anyway.
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest search news.
