Improving Mobile Search for Cities
Our first-generation mobile search algorithms often use simple “expanding radius searches” around specific points. Here’s what happens: If you were to conduct a search for pizza in Chicago, IL, we would search within a 5-mile-wide circle around a central point in Chicago for businesses related to pizza. If no results are found we would expand the radius by an additional 5 miles, until we find results or reach the maximum search radius of 20 miles. The same goes for ZIP codes, neighborhoods and street addresses.
The problem is that for some cities (not so much for ZIP codes and neighborhoods), this simple approach can sometimes omit businesses that actually fall within the city, but don’t fall within the circle we’ve drawn on the map. This is especially perplexing for users who search for a business that they know is in a certain city, only to discover that they can’t find it using one of our mobile apps.
A simple improvement to this algorithm is to combine the basic idea of a radius search with a search for businesses with addresses that match the city name. We call this search algorithm “Box+ search”. We expect this new dual approach to provide more accurate search results than the “expanding radius search”. To validate this we have set up a page where you can see the results of the two approaches side by side. You can see the difference in search results by looking at the following links, or try ‘Box+ Search” search with your own terms and location:
- Thai Food in Pasadena, CA
- Apple Stores in New York, NY
- Day Spa in Malibu, CA*
- Auto Parts in Sierra Madre, CA
- Massage in Sammamish, WA
Note: For uninteresting technical reasons, the search actually finds matching businesses using a box, rather than a circle, along with the name of the city, neighborhood or zip code.
The blue pins are businesses that were only returned in the “expanding radius search”. The red pins are businesses returned with “Box+ search”. The green pins represent listings that were returned by both search algorithms.
The red box shows the default area that was searched for Box+, while the blue circle shows the expanded radius search area.
* This result is interesting because it shows how a Box+ Search returns accurate results i.e. business that are “Day Spas” in “Malibu, CA”, where as the radius search returns businesses in similar categories but closer to the center of the specified search area.
8 Responses to “Improving Mobile Search for Cities”
December 26th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
How do I update a name change on Mapquest/Google? I manage DALTON OUTLET SHOPS, DALTON, GA . The previous name was Market Street Shops Dalton. The outlet mall is located at 1001 Market Street, Dalton, GA 30720.
Thank you.
Helen Scott Walker
December 27th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Helen,
To update your listing on YELLOWPAGES.COM click on this URL: http://www.yellowpages.com/name/Dalton-GA/market-street-shops and then select the “Improve this listing” link, and update the information.
As for Mapquest and Google I would would look for a similar feature or contact their customer service. AT&T Interactive does not represent Mapquest or Google.
Thanks for your input,
January 6th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I talk to people all the time about advertising on Yellowpages.com, and one of the biggest complaints they have is that it is not local enough. For example, I was talking to an Auto Insurance agent in Fairburn, GA. When one searches for Auto Insurance in Fairburn, GA, the first local responses that populate are from Lawrenceville, Decatur, Atlanta, and Duluth. None of those are Fairburn. I usually refer them to the REFINE YOUR SEARCH link at the upper left, but that is still an extra click for people who are looking for more local info. Is anything being done to better place these local listings?
THX!
January 7th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
And this is related to my last question: Why is the order of results different when people type in a zip code versus typing in the name of a town? i.e. 89131 vs. Las Vegas, NV.
January 11th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Joshua,
A number of the search algorithms that you see here in Beta Labs are all about figuring out a better way to present relevant results to consumers. That is making local search more local while still maintaining value for advertisers.
On your second post the reason that results are different for a search between Las Vegas, NV and 89131 is based on the way our search works. When doing a search we take the centroid (a calculated center point of the geography) and conduct the search from there. So the zip code 89131 has a different centroid than Las Vegas, NV, there fore the results are different.
Not all of our searches are as simple as what I just explained, but it does communicate the primary difference. Any difference at all in search geography will yield different results.
January 12th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Im in Mexico, yes you put my location, but you cant do searches in Mexico right?
January 14th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Miguel,
You are correct, at this time we do not have data for business outside the United States.
Thanks,
February 16th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Is there an XML interface to Yellowpages.com? I would like to add both a Yellow Page and White Page directory look up feature to some IP phones.
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