|
Google Goes Local
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Has anybody seen Google today? It may have its holiday green on
for St. Paddy's Day, but it has also rolled out something else new:
its local search function, simply named "Google Local."
It's integrated into the regular Google search interface already,
with little fuss or fanfare.
I checked it out. Because the new service is integrated, it's hardly
overt. Just like a regular Web search, enter in what it is you're
looking for (say, compact discs), with a city and state, and the
local results will appear as a link at the top. Click on that link,
and there you have it: a listing of hits, with addresses, map options,
and related websites. Nifty.
This product extension is, of course, not in the least bit unexpected.
There have been rumblings that Google was working on local search,
especially after rival Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) announced its SmartView
product on March 9. (Yahoo! has long enjoyed some degree of advantage
with its Get Local products, which have been around for quite some
time. Using a similar search on Yahoo!, I gathered what looked like
more complete search results, though, the Google Local function
is, admittedly, still in beta.)
Other important Internet properties also include local views of
events and commerce. For example, Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) America
Online unit also offers Digital City local guides. Remember when
the way to search for local commerce was to let your fingers do
the walking through the mammoth telephone book? Verizon (NYSE: VZ)
recently lived up to the telephone book's tradition by launching
SuperPages.com.
There's no arguing that "local" is an important aspect
of Internet search. According to the Kelsey Group, local search
makes up 25% of Internet commercial activity (more than double the
previous prognostication of 10%). Meanwhile, the research firm believes
the market for local paid-search advertising will reach $2.5 billion
by 2008.
Google's currently used for about 70% of all searches, and that
could give Yahoo! and the rest grief on the local front, if users
have one more reason to just Google it. Regardless, with IPO plans
a popular topic of discussion, it would have been remiss for Google
not to address a space that is touted as an essential element of
search, not to mention a key revenue driver.
|
