Yahoo Local Gets Social

Last month, Yahoo added another user-generated content feature to Local, Consumer Submit. That feature allows users to add or edit a business listing, updating contact information, store hours, or identifying businesses that are no longer open. The modifications do not change the listing permanently, but appear as notes that can be reviewed by others, who can agree or disagree and build a consensus on the accuracy of the information.

User-generated content has always been at the core of some other local search products, as well as social networking/directory hybrids such as InsiderPages, Judysbook and Yelp. IAC's Citysearch has long featured ratings and reviews, and added more social search features last year. That content is now featured more prominently in Ask.com's search results and in its new AskCity local search product.

Yahoo views these features as "social utilities" that harness the always-present offline word-of-mouth that friends and neighbors use to find a contractor, pick a restaurant, or choose a mechanic, Miller said.

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Ask.com Goes Local With AskCity

Ask.com has rolled out Ask City, a new local search service. The New York Times reports that early reviews of the service are positive.

On Monday, Ask.com is introducing AskCity, a service that integrates maps with information about local businesses, restaurants, concert and movie listings and reviews.

These so-called local searches already account for 10 percent of all Internet queries and are expected to grow faster than other searches. They are also seen as a way to tap into tens of billions in spending by small businesses, which have yet to switch much of their advertising dollars to the Internet.

Early reviews of the service by analysts are positive, and Mr. Lanzone said AskCity, which makes use of data from other IAC businesses like Citysearch and Ticketmaster, was just the kind of service that was slowly helping Ask build a top-quality search engine.

"Right now, the focus is almost entirely on improving the user experience," Mr. Lanzone said. "This is the product that, to date, we are the most proud of. It is going to have a huge impact for people who use Ask."

Search Engine Land and News.com report that AskCity includes information about businesses, movies, events and directions using data from InterActiveCorp (IAC) properties including Citysearch, Ticketmaster, Evite, Trip Advisor, ReserveAmerica, OpenTable, Yelp, Fandango, InsiderPages and Judysbook. A more detailed review can be found here on Screenwerk.

Posted on December 4, 2006
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Yelp Offers User Reviews of Places and Services

Yelp is an online community that allows members to write reviews of places and services like restaurants, dentists, dance clubs and salons. Yelp has review entries for dozens of U.S. cities which can be easily searched from Yelp's search bar. Daily Candy calls the community review site part CitySearch, part Epinions:

Welcome to Yelp, an online community that’s one part CitySearch, one part Epinions, with a dose of Friendster thrown in for good measure. Here's how it works: You create a personal profile, then write reviews of your experiences at places in San Francisco and beyond (those you love and hate), or just browse through the thousands of irreverent reviews - and reviewers - already on the site. Invite your friends to do the same (the more people involved, the more suggestions for everyone).

Posted on September 26, 2005
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Judy's Book Combines Yellow Pages With User Reviews

SearchEngineWatch.com reports on a new yellow page website that is built with user submitted reviews called Judy's Book.

Judy's Book has local recommendations from most medium-to-large size cities in the U.S. The site is free to browse; to add a post or ask a question you need to register, but registration is free.

The site was inspired by a "little green book" of trusted sources kept by "Judy," the mother of one of the Judy's Book founders. The book contained a list of the best service providers in the Seattle area, according to Judy.

The website is ready for entries in medium to large cities and currently features listings for Seattle, New York and the Bay Area on the homepage. The website also has social networking tools that allow members to develop relationships and form groups.

Posted on July 11, 2005
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Bayosphere Provides Community Coverage of Bay Area

The Bayosphere is a new resource covering California's Bay Area. The site will contain community and citizen journalism tools. The website also includes Dan Gillmor's blog, which has moved to the Bayosphere website. Gillmor's blog is a popular resource covering journalism, technology and Silicon Valley. Dan Gillmor explains the concept behind the new website in a recent post:

The promise of the Internet was simple, but incredibly powerful: to be a medium through which we could connect and collaborate, for mutual benefit. It's happening. As the Net matures, we are learning to write as easily and fluently as we read.

At Bayosphere, we're going to create a community fueled by that notion. We will reflect -- and reflect on -- the news, needs and ideas of the San Francisco Bay Area and especially the technology sphere that is the prime economic driver of the area.

Posted on May 19, 2005
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Backfence.com Provides Local Communities

Backfence.com is another citizen journalism type of website. The site allows visitors to post classifieds, share news and photos and publicize events specific their location. So far, the site has communities for McLean, Va and Reston, Va.

Posted on May 4, 2005
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