Search engine giant Yahoo Inc (www.yahoo.com) announced on October 3 the launch of a search offering that helps users find local businesses as it battles Google Inc and other Web search providers to capture a growing share of the billion-dollar advertising market now dominated by Yellow Page publishers. Called Yahoo Local (http://local.yahoo.com), the service will be accessible from the Yahoo home page and through Yahoo Search. It aims to help users quickly track down businesses such as restaurants, dry cleaners and banks in their neighborhoods or in other chosen areas. Yahoo hopes the new services will lure millions of local advertisers who are discovering how to use the Web to reach consumers.
In comparison, search engine leader Google (www.google.com) recently added a local search tab to its main page. Ask Jeeves Inc (www.ask.com) launched a local search offering in September and InfoSpace Search & Directory (www.infospaceinc.com/sd) acquired Switchboard, its local product, in June. Verizon Communications (www.verizon.com), the number one US telephone company, earlier in 2004 relaunched its SuperPages.com site to give advertisers the option of signing up for lucrative Web-search ad campaigns popularized by Google. Verizon's partner on the project was paid-search advertising provider FindWhat.com (www.findwhat.com).
