The World Wide Web Gets Local Wednesday, March 1, 2006 The World Wide Web Gets Local (NAPSA)—About 550 million searches are conducted daily on the ences with the business. Yahoo! Local (http://local.yahoo. Internet, according to Internet watchdog Jupiter Research. While com) is one of the best and most order books, reserve plane tickets or Discover new corners of your neighborhood. If you’re less confident about the best way to you can use Yahoo! Local to plan your itinerary. Find businesses youll need to run errands at and check the business listings for most searchers now know how to download the latest tunes from cyberspace, many consumers are find information about businesses and services close to home—such as pinpointing specialty shops in their neighborhood or finding a phone numberfor a local pet store that’s known for pampering pooches. According to Yahoo! data, one in four Internet searchesis local-spe- cific. Only a handful of search engines are equipped to handle what is known as “local search.” Local search differs from general search in that it lets people find popular local search engines online today. It allows you to: spending a day out around town, hours and special considerations like sales or promotions. Yahoo! Local’s integration with Yahoo! Maps meansyou'll be able to easily plot your destinations on a map, print multipoint driving directions and even plan your route based on traffic conditions, nearby ATMs or gas station locations. eExplore new communities. business listings by searching within a specific city, neighborhood or zip code. This can greatly sim- Yahoo! Local helps you find businesses and local points of interest eliminates listings with similar tapping into local ratings and when you're traveling to new cities. plify the search process because it You can rely on local knowledge by names that are located in other parts of the U.S.—orthe world. reviews before you make dinner For example, if you’re looking for the listing for a Chinese restaurant called Emerald Garden in a nearbycity, a local search will only give you the information for the one you want—nota clutter of listings for restaurants with similar names that are located hundreds or even thousandsof miles away. Today’s local search gives you a much more personalized experi- ence than just a link to the business’ Web page. For example, if you search on “garden center” in your neighborhood, you'll see a list of the closest nurseries, with a map reservations at a restaurant. You can also find out where to get your pants pressed, look up what’s play- ing at local movie theaters and research virtually any other service you may need while on the road. Fill your social calendar. Yahoo! Local’s event listings make it easy to find out what is going on in your town. Impress your friends with knowledge aboutall upcoming concerts, festivals and shows in yourcity. Using Yahoo! Local is easy. Just showing exactly where they are located. In addition, you'll see a list go to http:/Aocal.yahoo.com and put your zip code (or town and state) in the box to the right, and what you're searching for in the box on the left. Technology will take care businesses such as landscapers right on your doorstep. of categories featuring related and greenhouses. You’ll also see ratings and reviewsof the business by customers sharing their experi- of the rest. Faster searches are For more information or to start searching in your neighbor- hood,visit http://local.yahoo.com. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20190801-084934-20190801-084932-67911.pdf.jpg --- FILES --- File: 20190801-084932-67911.pdf