Yahoo using SearchMonkey to improve local listings

Search engine giant Yahoo are using their project, SearchMonkey to feature local directory listings from Citysearch, Zagat, Yelp and LinkedIn, along with Yahoo Local.

This means that SearchMonkey’s local applications will now be available to Yahoo users as a default, without them having to download any additional programmes.

Content from the sites are also now more likely to appear in relevant Yahoo search results, offering a greater level of exposure to local business owners.

A search for a particular product or service yields a Citysearch listing, with comprehensive links to its profile, reviews and a map. In some cases, more than one enhanced listing for each business will appear from different providers.

SearchMonkey is designed to allow site owners and developers to incorporate structured data into their search results after installing a suitable application.

The SearchMonkey platform uses semantic web data used to help computers understand information in websites. It then builds data, such as film ratings, into the search results that Yahoo presents.