Local review site Citysearch has announced an overhaul to its mobile and web sites. Now in beta, Mobile by Citysearch adds enhanced features for mobile users, and the new website integrates more local and social aspects.

Mobile and local have always been a good match, but the implementation of this natural pairing hasn’t fully “arrived.” Mobile by Citysearch, however, is a good step along that path. The new site is designed to be compatible with whatever mobile device you use, including content layout and using your phone’s default navigation (thumbwheel, touch screen, etc.) for a more intuitive UI.

Citysearch has long been available through mobile phones—two years ago, they added mobile search to their site as well as local business listings via text message.

Rather than just making the website readable on a mobile phone, however, the new Mobile by Citysearch better integrates mobile and local. Its new design makes reading and even creating reviews from a mobile device easy and makes popular website features mobile-friendly. The new mobile Citysearch is also integrated with text messaging, allowing users to text reviews, directions and ratings directly to mobile phones.

The Citysearch website has also been redesigned. New features enhance not only the interface but the access to the site’s reviews and other information. But the new site is more than just prettier. An enhanced back end allows for even more focused local searches—down to the neighborhood level, instead of just the metro area.

The new Citysearch also integrates social media better—including the seldom-mentioned Open ID rival, Facebook Connect. The integration with Facebook is one of the best applications of social search so far. If you’re signed in to Facebook (currently or using a permanent session), Citysearch will highlight your friends’ reviews of local restaurants. (Image from Read Write Web.)

Finally, the new Citysearch is sure score points with local business owners—it prominently features owner comments alongside editor and user comments. It also is added enhanced features for videos of local businesses through a partnership with Brightcove.

Users will be able to upload their own photos and videos early next year.

This redesign comes just a few days after some bad press for Yelp, a rival local review site. Yelp is alleged to have offered to remove or move down negative reviews of local businesses for a fee (and there’s even some allegations they took the money without actually moving the reviews, doubly unethical).

Yelp has been gaining momentum against Citysearch’s popularity recently, but Citysearch’s new features and Yelp’s bad press might combine to reverse that. What do you think—are the new features cool enough to get your “vote” (traffic)?

Via 1, 2, 3

Original post:
Citysearch Gets Mobile and Social

Just one day after the announcement of Jerry Yang stepping aside as Yahoo! CEO, Forbes magazine takes a look at the 5 Biggest Mistakes Yahoo! made while hitting the skids as of late. The article reads a little like an autopsy on a live body. Sure Yahoo! is struggling to survive in the exhaust of Google and others cleaning their clock in the race to control the net (for now) but is Taps necessary just yet?

The article ‘interviews’ several Yahoo! staffers in what appears to be some kind of odd lunch time ambush since most of these ‘interviewees’ were carry their lunch or some kind of boxes. We heard things were different at Yahoo! but now we have some insight I guess. Of course, with 1,500 layoffs looming these folks may be gathering their belongings in anticipation of a trip to the HR department soon.

The five main reasons for Yahoo!’s stumble as cited by these mysterious employees were:

1. Projects started but never completed. Apparently it was de rigueur for the company to start something and then let it fade out with no results. Honestly, I have to say that this is not just a Yahoo! problem but if the number of these projects was excessive that can kill resources and morale.
2. Whiffed on Google. Remember when Yahoo! had a chance to buy Google in 2002 for a mere $5b? How different might the world look if that had gone through.
3. The Terry Semel effect. Missed out on Google and started media initiatives that have crapped out for the most part.
4. Google beats Yahoo! to DoubleClick. Another real ‘woulda,  shoulda, coulda’. These are the kind of things that keep Yahoo!er’s  and Jerry Yang up at night.
5. The Microsoft acquisition shuffle. I think there is a pattern developing here ……..

Other possible causes of the current state of unrest are the current economic conditions (which holds no water since Google seems to be doing fine, thank you) and the big killer of any business: indecisiveness. Lower level employees were quick to point upstream on this one saying that upper level execs weren’t instilling a lot of confidence in the rank and file.

While it may seem all doom and gloom there are still hopefuls on campus. There is a new cloud computing initiative that many are saying can help turn the corner. There is still plenty of brain power at the company and there are some strong offerings like Yahoo! Mail and Finance that keep rolling along.

OK, Pilgrims, let’s hear it. What is going to happen to Yahoo!? Where will they be in a year from now? I suspect that there may be a few strong opinions floating around out there. Let’s hear it.

Credit:

Do you lie awake at night worrying about the keywords you’re NOT targeting in your Google AdWords campaign?

Yeah, me neither.

But, if you ever wake up in that cold sweat you’ll now have access to a new tool from Google called the Search-based Keyword Tool. What does it do?

Based on your URLs, the Search-based Keyword Tool displays a list of relevant user queries that have occurred on Google.com (and on other Google search properties, such as google.co.uk) with some frequency over the past year…The Search-based Keyword Tool compares your website and current AdWords campaigns against actual, past Google search queries to identify additional keywords that might be relevant for your campaigns. The tool compiles a list of search queries relevant to your website that don’t already appear in your AdWords campaigns.

The tool is available to US and UK users and is the perfect solution for those setting up their AdWords campaign–and don’t know which keywords to start with–or those of us that worry that we have a few gaps in our keyword list.

Enjoy!

Andy Beal will host his next Online Reputation Management Workshop in Las Vegas on January 14th, 2009. Register before December 1st and you’ll save $300! Book now, space is limited.

Original post:

<Oprah voice> It’s book contest time!!!! </Oprah voice>

This time around, I’m giving you a break from books that tell you how to market your web site. Instead, how about an awesome book that tells you how to market YOU?

Step Into The Spotlight: A Guide to Getting Noticed was written by publicity coach Tsufit (think one name, like Madonna or Cher) and is a must read–and we have 3 copies to give away!

Why should you care about this book? Well, it’s not enough to be an expert at what you do. You have to be known as an expert at what you do. This book will help you to get more publicity, more speaking gigs, more clients, better clients, higher-paying clients!

I started reading this book on the way back from PubCon and was actually glad when my connecting flight was delayed–it let me finish this engaging and easy to read book.

How to enter this contest? Simply leave a comment below and we’ll randomly pick 3 winners (deadline for entry is 6pm ET this Wednesday).

That’s all you need to do! And, if you don’t win, you can grab a copy from your favorite bookstore or online.

Original post:

It seems like forever since we did a Pilgrim’s Picks. Taking a look around the news today, it’s saturated with either Jerry Yang resigning or Mark Cuban’s SEC charges–both of which we’ve already covered.

Until I find something fresh and interesting, you can consider these Picks your amuse bouche yeux.

• Google brings voice search to the iPhone. Matt Cutts gushes over it–just days after gushing over Google’s Android phone (which doesn’t yet have voice search).
• Did Microsoft’s taste for revenge lead to Jerry Yang resigning?
• Forge–a non-profit that helps African refugees–is running out of money. Boris Mordkovich–having recently sold Search Marketing Standard–has jumped in to help them raise money. He wants your help too!
• If you’re looking for a enterprise-scale web site uptime service, then you might want to check out AlertSite. While not free, I’ve tested it and was impressed with the many features it offers.
• Want a quick, easy, and free way to compare your web site with your competition? Check out ReviewMyWeb–it’s pretty and pretty cool.

Source: