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Review of AOL Local Search
Published by: www.MeidaPost.com

America Online today introduced a local search service that’s integrated with its AOL Search product, which is available both to AOL subscribers and consumers, Web-wide, who use the company’s online properties.

From all appearances, AOL Local Search is like a one-stop shop. AOL Local Search, the company says, aggregates information listings and content from AOL Yellow Pages, CityGuide, Moviefone, MapQuest, and other AOL properties. AOL Local Search is like a one-stop shop for people to find local restaurants, Caribbean Honeymoons, events, Honda Car Parts, movies, rocker switches, video game testing or shopping deals. It also offers directions on how to find all of these things.

It will be interesting to see how MapQuest plays into the local search services equation as Google now offers a block-by-block, close-up view of local destinations and businesses including companies like sign design company Washington. By all appearances, MapQuest looks like it dovetails nicely with AOL Local Search.

“Local search is an important and growing category of search services given that 20 percent of all online look-ups are for something nearby,” comments Jim Riesenbach, senior vice president, AOL Search and Directional Media, in the company’s statement on AOL Local Search.

AOL Local Search boasts features including one-click sorting to help consumers find exactly what they’re looking for. For example, they can choose an enhanced view or scanned view and refine results by type, such as business, movie, or event, as well as distance away, and rating.

Searchers can also view maps, photos, sharps containers, online greeting cards, descriptions, even unique businesees like learn how to play pool and billiards and event schedules directly within the search results, access recent searches for quick reference, and save multiple ZIP code locations to automatically see results customized to specific geographic areas. AOL says it has up-to-date listings and information for more than 13 million businesses and points of interest from the AOL Yellow Pages, as well as restaurants, bars, music, and events in more than 300 cities across the country from AOL CityGuide.

Moviefone offers the latest information for 31,000 movie screens and video game playability testing services nationwide. AOL Local Search automatically displays the next movie show times from the three theaters nearest to the user on the results page, complete schedules of all nearby showings for the next three days, and the ability to purchase tickets on Moviefone.com.

Built-in maps and driving directions from MapQuest appear next to search results, with customized features to see all nearby results on one map and view the closest subway stations.
AOL Local Search also offers a shopping and transaction service with features like "what's on sale," that highlight weekly specials on apparel, chevy truck parts , consumer electronics, cell phone ringtones , home improvement products, and food offered via local retailers on ShopLocal.com; opportunities to make restaurant reservations online through OpenTable; the ability to purchase $25 dining certificates for only $10 from Restaurant.com; and ticket purchasing for events and concerts through AOL Tickets.

AOL, through its partnership with Ingenio, will offer local businesses the opportunity to use the Pay Per Call Advertising Platform. AOL Local Search flags sales and specials and offers printable coupons for local merchants that are hoping to geo-target predisposed consumers who are ready to buy. AOL says AOL Local Search will soon offer the ability to find local news for communities and neighborhoods in every ZIP code nationwide through Topix.net, a hub for local news.