Yahoo's SmartView Adds Visualization to Search

[Brittany]

I didn't see a discussion of this topic anywhere so I decided to start one..

Yahoo! today announced its SmartView technology, a mapping tool taking web content searches to the next level. SmartView, the newest feature of Yahoo! Maps, brings interaction and visualization to the process of searching for content on the Internet.

Bringing a new edge to the search experience, SmartView enhances the search by dividing map locations into categories and easily allowing users to view specific “local points of interest” based on the services they offer. This is quick and convenient for users seeking anything from an ATM machine to the nearest Chinese restaurant.

“As the number one destination for local information on the Web, we are in a unique position to innovate, improve and redefine the way people search for local content online," said Paul Levine, general manager of Yahoo!'s local services. "SmartView is a great example of how we can leverage Yahoo!'s breadth and depth of content to provide a truly differentiated search experience that enables users to find what they are looking for faster and easier than before."

Utilizing information from the rest of the Yahoo! network, including Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Yellow Pages, Yahoo! Travel, and Yahoo! Movies, this new feature is part of Yahoo! Search’s efforts to improve relevancy and customer satisfaction while competing with Google for dominance over the search industry.

"Today's announcement marks yet another in a continuing line of innovations designed to fulfill our mission of providing the highest quality search experience on the Web," said Jeff Weiner, senior vice president of Yahoo! Search and Marketplace.

Expanding on recent innovative Yahoo! Maps improvements, Weiner says SmartView "is just one of many new features consumers can expect from our local initiative going forward."

Try out SmartView at http://maps.yahoo.com

So far, I've found this feature to be very useful. It will come in handy for people who (like me) are searching for a new apartment and want to know what sorts of restaurants, banks, and other locations are in the area. ;)

Just my two cents...

[TrafficProducer]

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/index.php

I'm sure Yahoo have a lot more.

More business links

http://www.bosslinks.com

[sovidiu]

There is nothing new about Yahoo Maps, as we all know that the SmartView relies on old techniques. Can anyone here define the term "next level" as used by Brittany? And what does "bringing a new edge to the search experience" mean? There's nothing innovative in doing a web search for a map, even on this "ressurected dinosaur". Is Yahoo introducing a new indexing technique? No. Is Yahoo providing free web site addition to its database for web locations from Europe/Asia with resourceful information? No. Is Yahoo gaining some *quality traffic* via Overture or a web forum? Yes. I mean, come on, Brittany. You don't really belive that if you throw in a couple of those "relevancy" and "cutting edge" and "brand new" syntagms/terms, you'll really people praise your article. This propaganda is really starting to get annoying, so please try and stop forcing your members to click on some Yahoo crap just because you have a affiliation contract with them. You're not being impartial, and that's the first thing an editor needs. Besides, as long as Yahoo will use paid inclusion, the Internet will always stop in front of it. Ask Tim Berners Lee.

[Brittany]

sovidiu,

Welcome to WebProWorld! You brought up a lot of great points in your post.

First off, I'm not a sales person. The advertisers on this site do not affect my judgement when choosing editorial content. I also don't care whether or not you guys click on the WebProWorld ads as long as you help contribute to the discussions.

In regards to Yahoo's SmartView, the techology itself is not new but I find the way it is being presented on Yahoo to be very interesting. The information is organized in a cleaner way that is easier for users to understand.

Will it be a trend we'll start to see in local search? Watch http://labs.google.com/location for any changes... ;)

I was also discussing this with Garrett, and he believes Yahoo's local search market share may also be more firmly cemented now - possibly even placing Yahoo ahead of Google in local search.

Of course, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft and Google have up their sleeves in the months to come..

[TrafficProducer]

USA vs uk

Once again the United Kingdom is left in the backwater of beyond..

That local, (to the USA) US address, city & state, or zip.

[minstrel]

Well, don't feel singled out - I find the same thing here in Canada with many US only offeres and services.

On the other hand, if you are a US company, it makes sense to target the US market first - often, the service will expand to Canada and then elsewhere in the world in time if it proves to be popular and profitable in the US - if not, it dies a natural death. I can understand why they wouldn't bother to go to the trouble of offering it internationally until there is some evidence that it will enhance either the bank account or the reputation/marketability of the organization...

[flashedit]

Minstrel; Don't feel too bad I don't think that the "local" search works that great anyway and I live in the USA. It doesn’t seam to work as well in the smaller rural areas as it does in larger cities.
As far as I understood it, this local search was set up by Yahoo! to compete with the Yellow pages. I don’t see this happening very soon unless Yahoo! incorporates the local Yellow pages into its search results.
Then again I have been wrong before, it just doesn't stop me.

[miriam]

I think that with the web, as with most businesses and platforms, it will be difficult to make a solution that works really well locally, when trying to work it globally, (or even just in one country at the moment, like the US).
With most applications of this it is very difficult to create a local knowledge without actually being local. Obviously with this yahoo are using something which cross references all the information and data they already have accumulated, but like flashedit says, it is pretty substandard in rural areas.
Try setting something like this up in Australia where there are some of the most remote towns and cities in the world!
There are a number of sites available to search on within my city, Perth, that I have been quite happy with, but I am pretty sure they are just manipulating data as Yahoo is. It still makes me feel happy that it is someone local doing it.
I am not sure what my point has been ! help anyone?

[rsaake]

Sad to say this old style of business additions relys too much on old data. In our community we have some of the highest growth in the country, and SmartView is over 12 months behind the curve, missing new businesses, and still showing businesses that have moved to different locations.

Maybe if Yahoo brings about a pay per view/click application the content will be more up to date, and the application will make it easier to get good data. Think about it, you will only have good/current data if people are paying for their listings.

Just think, Yahoo adMaps here we come!!!

[flashedit]

Does anyone know if there any way for a company that gets pulled up with Yahoo! Maps, to change the information that is presented? Or lets take it one step further, how about a business that is not listed to get listed? You would think that Yahoo! would be all over that.

[sovidiu]

So the way things will go is as follows: Yahoo will somehow become a leader in providing geographical information for anyone, while Google will develop it its labs and using free-of-charge APIs. What if Yahoo were to sell its mapping techniques to a large travel company, such as [URI to advertise] Travelocity? Would you have your credit card charged for trying to find this type of information over the Internet?