I’m slow to report the news here (the embargo lifted last night at 9 pm) but today Yahoo launched its local search product. I was on an informal “advisory board” for this product, but I have to admit that my focus on the book did not allow me to be very engaged. However I did get to play with it early, and found it pretty damn good.
Chris Sherman of SEW agrees, his write up is here. He notes the major features, the clean interface, and the elegant “refine” features that let you zero in on lists of search results. He quotes Jeff Weiner on the goal:
“Our mission is to understand intention of user, to help them complete tasks as quickly as possible,” said Jeff Weiner, senior vice president, search and marketplace, sharply contrasting Yahoo’s approach with Google’s mission “to make the world’s information universally accessible and useful.”
You know what a sucker I am for intent-based media. Net net: I like Yahoo Local, and plan to use it, at least for now.
Udpate: I should have pointed out that Ask has a new local search product as well, clearly timed to Yahoo’s news as it’s a partnership with Citysearch, which Yahoo used to use…CNET coverage…
(full release for Yahoo Local in “continue reading” link…)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
YAHOO! LAUNCHES LOCAL SEARCH BETA: AN INNOVATIVE WAY FOR PEOPLE TO SEARCH
FOR LOCAL INFORMATION ONLINE
New Product Leverages Yahoo! Search Technology and Comprehensive Local
Content for a Precise and Useful Local Search Experience
Sunnyvale, CA — August 3, 2004 — Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet
company, today released a beta of Yahoo!
Funny, I put in my town along with zipcode. I wasn’t expecting local listings. I live in a small town that shares the same name with a very large city in another state.
What I wanted to see was if it included listings from the larger city in the results like Google’s local search does. That’s exactly what I found. Somehow 2000 miles away isn’t local.
What’s the business model? Is there one? PPC? Advertising? “Slotting” fees?