Yahoo > Yahoo: Maps & Local
Apr. 28, 2008 at 6:14am by Danny Sullivan
Yahoo Paper: Finding The Local "Center" Of Search Queries
A new research paper from Yahoo and Cornell University -- with search legend Jon Kleinberg as one of the coauthors -- provides a fascinating look at how a search query such as "red sox" or "hurricane deal" can be centered around a physical location -- including one that changes...
See Related Stories In: Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines, Stats: Search Behavior, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Apr. 24, 2008 at 9:13am by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Search Circle Allows Users To Easily Expand & Narrow Results On Map
Yahoo just announced that it has added a nifty tool to Local (called "search circle") that allows uses to alter the geographic scope of results by expanding or narrowing a circle on the map. The circle can also be dragged to a particular area easily, allowing for more efficient neighborhood...
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Apr. 11, 2008 at 1:16pm by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Adds Much More Imagery To Maps
Yahoo has largely opted out of the mapping arms race between Microsoft and Google that has seen both invest millions in their mapping platforms. While it was the early pioneer of dynamic mapping and use of maps as a local search tool, the company decided to focus on more "practical"...
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Mar. 24, 2008 at 7:39am by Mike Blumenthal
A New Scourge For Yahoo: Affiliate Mapspam
I've been writing about Mapspam appearing in both Google and Yahoo search results for some time now. Mapspam is where black hat SEOs spam local search and map listings, and like all black hat techniques, it seems to get more sophisticated as the search engines find ways to combat the...
See Related Stories In: SEO: Spamming, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Mar. 6, 2008 at 10:07am by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Maps Adds More Data, Other Improvements
Yahoo Maps has announced a range of improvements. These include expanded global coverage, including better data and coverage of Eastern Europe; and, in the US, more "granular" neighborhood data for 300 cities and 12,000 neighborhoods. Functionality has been improved as well. Tiles are "lighter" for faster load times, colors and...
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Feb. 4, 2008 at 8:17am by Greg Sterling
A Local Look At Microsoft's Bid For Yahoo
Last Friday, shortly after the Microsoft bid for Yahoo was made public, Danny and I had an opportunity to discuss the proposed acquisition with Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of strategic partnerships for Microsoft. Our questions to Mehdi often returned to post-acquisition "integration" issues. I brought up local, maps,...
See Related Stories In: Locals Only, Microsoft & Yahoo Merger, Microsoft: Business Issues, Microsoft: Live Search Local, Microsoft: Tellme, Yahoo: Business Issues, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Jan. 10, 2008 at 8:03am by Greg Sterling
Google Maps Gaining On Market Leader Mapquest
Mapquest arguably "owns" the mapping brand online. It has been the dominant mapping site for years by a wide margin. But that dominance may now be slipping under pressure from Google. Hitwise reports that "traffic to Mapquest has remained flat year on year and is down 20% in the past...
See Related Stories In: AOL: MapQuest, Google: Business Issues, Google: Critics, Google: Maps & Local, Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers, Google: Universal Search, Microsoft: Live Search Local, Stats: Size, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Dec. 18, 2007 at 2:39pm by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Maps Adds Drag And Drop Routing
Yahoo Maps added drag and drop customizable routing, among several other improvements to the site. There's more discussion and explanation on the Yahoo Local & Maps blog. Google has a similar feature. Below are some screenshots of the new capability on Yahoo. Additional feature upgrades on Yahoo Maps include photos...
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Dec. 13, 2007 at 9:27am by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Local (Re)introduces Search Refinement, RSS
When Yahoo Local redesigned in August of this year, it largely eliminated the left column of detailed filters and refinement capabilities that were one of its best features, in my view. The statement from then Yahoo Local GM Jennifer Dulski (now CEO of Fatdoor) was that people weren't really using...
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Nov. 29, 2007 at 12:09pm by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Testing "Neighbors" Organizing Tool For Local
Yahoo has always been an innovator in local, and today the company is rolling out (only in two California markets) a new feature that allows community members to identify, discuss, and potentially organize around local issues of concern. Called "Neighbors," it combines functionality found on Yahoo's suggestion boards and in...
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Nov. 13, 2007 at 11:18am by Greg Sterling
Andy Baio To Leave Yahoo/Upcoming
Andy Baio has posted on his blog that he is leaving Yahoo and Upcoming, the social events site he started in roughly 2003. The co-founder of Upcoming says many friendly and favorable things about Yahoo and says that he's taking some time off and next year will be "focusing exclusively...
See Related Stories In: Yahoo: Employees, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Oct. 1, 2007 at 5:12pm by Grant Crowell
Meet The Local Search Engines
A report from today's opening panel at SMX Local & Mobile, Denver, Colorado. Huge market, huge confusion, huge challenges—that could summarize discussion on the Meet the Local Search Engines panel, consisting of some of the major players in local search—including major search engines' local search properties, an exclusively local...
See Related Stories In: Google: Maps & Local, Locals Only, Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Sep. 11, 2007 at 7:30am by Mike Blumenthal
Yahoo Local Now Features "User Denigrated Content"
After exploring Yahoo's Mapspam, I started investigating Yahoo's end user local reporting features more fully. I may have underestimated Yahoo's features to deal with spam (and to abet it). The new Yahoo Local is making a strong attempt at encouraging user input and content about local businesses with reviews,...
See Related Stories In: Local Search Week, SEO: Local, SEO: Spamming, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Sep. 6, 2007 at 1:29pm by Greg Sterling
Mapspam Now Appearing On Yahoo Local
If spam isn't an indication of the arrival of an advertising medium (e.g. email spam, search spam) I don't know what is. Mike Blumenthal, who identified instances of Google mapspam has now investigated non-local businesses trying to fool the local algorithms on Yahoo into thinking they are local. Blumenthal cites...
See Related Stories In: SEO: Local, SEO: Spamming, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Aug. 29, 2007 at 6:36pm by Greg Sterling
Send To (German) Car: The New Local Search Front
Google CEO Eric Schmidt said at one point that one of the reasons Google wanted to get into radio advertising was that the company couldn't reach users during the morning or afternoon commutes. That's all changing very quickly. Both Google and Yahoo have almost simultaneously announced in-car mapping and local...
See Related Stories In: Google: Maps & Local, Google: Mobile, Google: Outside US, Google: Partnerships, Search Features: Send To Phone, Yahoo: Maps & Local, Yahoo: Outside US, Yahoo: Partnerships
Aug. 29, 2007 at 9:37am by Barry Schwartz
Flash Earth Puts Google Earth, Virtual Earth & Others On Web
FlashEarth Mashup with Google Earth 4.2 from the Google Earth Blog reports on a site named Flash Earth that provides mapping services from several providers in a desktop like experience, using Flash technologies. Flash Earth gives you mapping data from Google Earth, Microsoft Virtual Earth, Yahoo Maps, OpenLayers and NASA...
See Related Stories In: Ask: Maps, Google: Earth, Microsoft: Live Search Local, Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines, Yahoo: Maps & Local
Aug. 14, 2007 at 11:49pm by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Local Gets A Sophisticated Makeover
Yahoo is arguably the leader in local search, but others including Google, Microsoft and Yelp have been rapidly gaining. The search engine's venerable Local site was in need of a refresh, which it has now received. With a redesign partly inspired by the Yahoo OurCity sites in India, the new...
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Jul. 25, 2007 at 7:31pm by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Local GM To Leave, Group Now Broader
Paul Levine, GM of Yahoo Local, is leaving (his decision) after almost five years and being replaced by Jennifer Dulski, who is now going to be Group Vice President & General Manager, Marketplace. Her title reflects a strategy shift and will combine Local with Shopping, Travel, Autos and Real Estate...
See Related Stories In: Yahoo: Employees, Yahoo: Maps & Local
May. 28, 2007 at 9:18am by Greg Sterling
More Maps Announcements Coming This Week
The conference Where 2.0 begins tomorrow in San Jose, California. It's about mapping, mashups and location-based services and there should be a range of interesting announcements from companies large and small. To that end, Garrett Rogers speculates, based on domain name registrations, that Google will be announcing a "street view"...
See Related Stories In: AOL: MapQuest, Google: Maps & Local, Microsoft: Live Search Local, Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines, Yahoo: Maps & Local
May. 16, 2007 at 8:47am by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Maps Get A Makeover
Although Microsoft might disagree, Yahoo was really the company that kicked off the dynamic mapping arms race back in March of 2004 with the introduction of a feature called "SmartView" ( a version of it still exists on Yahoo Maps "dial-up" presentation). SmartView enabled users of Yahoo Maps to conduct...
See Related Stories In: Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines, Yahoo: Maps & Local
May. 9, 2007 at 9:18am by Greg Sterling
Yahoo Travel Adds Personalization, New Maps
Yahoo Travel has redesigned and added a range of features, including personalization and new mapping tools to the site. It's also seeking to more deeply integrate travel properties FareChase (its fares and rates "meta search" engine) and Trip Planner (its user-generated content site) into Travel. Flickr is also well represented...
