Yahoo Local is Yahoo’s search engine geared to local areas - in some cases countries and in some cases cities or states.  All the same information exists on the regular Yahoo site, but Yahoo Local delivers it in a  more straightforward and accessible format.  Yahoo Local’s business strength is that it presents local advertising slots to companies who don’t target national or international audiences.

How it Works

A specific search on schools provides an example of Yahoo Local in action.

Someone needs at least intermediate search engine knowledge if they want local school information from Yahoo’s general search.  Yahoo returns local school information, including maps, if the user types “schools in city/state,” for example “schools in Los Angeles, California.”  In addition, even a general search for “schools” delivers local ads based on the person’s (really the computer’s) location - Yahoo pulls that information from the local information stored on the computer.

But most people don’t know how to formulate complex searches, so Yahoo Local makes it easy with pre-formatted searches, guides, and menus geared at the most common local searches.

Type “school” on Yahoo Local, and the city and state in the location bar, then Yahoo Local returns a list of local schools, including a map showing their location relative to the starting location.  In addition, Yahoo Local’s city guides provides this information in pre-existing menu choices on page’s left side.

Reviews

Yahoo local adds user reviews, a useful tool for people searching local businesses.  If someone wants a restaurant, school, or fitness center, chances are someone has already reviewed that specific location.  It’s not a general McDonald’s view, but rather a review of the McDonald’s down the street who may have recently hired a very slow drive through attendant for the late shift.  With Yahoo Local reviews,  someone in a hurry for a meal on the way home from work knows a trip to Burger King is quicker.

Advertising

For advertisers Yahoo Local has advantages over even the local targeted ads on the regular Yahoo search.  Not only does Yahoo Local deliver 100% local information, but it offers featured positions on the most popular local pages such as the city guide home page.  Businesses target people who live within a certain distance - a very useful advertising tool.

Categories: Glossary
Tags: local results, local search, yahoo, yahoo local