Brafton has reported that local search's day is here, and Yahoo is testing a new layout for its local content that marketers may like. The simplified city guides are only available in select locations and they lack some of the current Yahoo Local page's search features, but marketers may like how they enhance brand discovery and content-sharing.
The feature being tested is called Yahoo's Neighborhood Mix, available primarily for West Coast cities at press time. The site claims it has insight on "the best news, deals and things to do around you." Its homepages offers Groupon-style promotions and breaking headlines.
The current version of Yahoo Local doesn't have the same focus on up-to-date buzz, but it offers a "most popular" tab, highlighting the neighborhood news and deals generating the most interest online at a given time. It also allows users to refine their city searches or browse by category, displays maps for local search results and has business reviews on the homepage.
These features are not as intuitively found on the new Yahoo neighborhood site. In fact, searching for any specific venue on the new Local page directs users to standard Yahoo search results. Yet, the news and deals featured may be more compelling because they come with social recommendations – each piece of content has a comments tab, a share button and a Like button.
The emphasis on locally-targeted content is the main benefit of the new site for marketers. Officials told Search Engine Land, "We are piloting a new experience to deliver personalized local content, including hyperlocal" information to "drive discovery." This includes user-generated content, which they say gives the site a "personal touch."
Increasing the amount of user-generated content on its sites is part of a broader Yahoo strategy. As Brafton reported, the company's acquisition of Associated Content recently culminated in the Yahoo Contributor Network.
It is also increasing its focus on local features. Last week, Brafton reported that Yahoo had unveiled new local mobile apps to make it easy for on-the-go consumers to find neighborhood info. As Yahoo is still the second-leading search engine by comScore's measure, marketers should plan local content and reward brand advocates for user-generated content accordingly.
