Google's Local Search Goes Beta

Google's Local Search Goes Beta: "Google officially moved local search out of Google labs and into beta last week. Several noteworthy new features were added to the mix.

Google's approach to local search involves using yellow-page and business-directory information from third-party providers, integrating it with information about individual businesses from Google's main Web page index. Though the service is still in beta, Google has promoted it from its relatively obscure location in Google Labs to its own Local Search URL."

Google Local: "
Search termsUS address, city & state, or zip
Save location
Find local businesses and services on the web."

(The) additional information includes content appearing on businesses' Web sites. Mayer says including this information in the past was difficult, partly because content published on the Web isn't as clean as that included in structured services such as yellow pages or directories.

"We're ripping through the Web looking largely at addresses and phone numbers," she said. "We're also cross-correlating that with yellow pages and directory listings