Epilot Launches new local Search

Bridging the gap between search and IYP's?

[werty]

[epilot.com...]

ePilot Local Search delivers a complete and powerful turn-key solution to Internet and printed directory publishers and website owners. We combine our proven paid-search platform and our innovative Keyword DNA™ technology to create the most comprehensive local search solution available.

Press release:
[home.businesswire.com...]

The suite of ePilot Local Search products solves a number of issues currently facing IYPs. For example, it virtually eliminates failed searches on IYP sites, while enhancing distribution of IYP advertiser listings across the ePilot Search Distribution Network, which presently serves nearly one billion searches each month. Furthermore, Interchange is able to provide complementary local advertiser listings directly to its IYP partners, thereby more effectively monetizing existing IYP search traffic. To complete the suite of products, ePilot Local Search contains a private-label cost-per-click solution, enabling IYPs to offer their advertising clients a premier cost-per-click product consisting of industry-leading account management tools with a fully integrated local-search component.

[eWhisper]

Nice find.

It seems everyone knows the IYPs are worth something, just not sure how to take advantage of it. This could cause ePilot's value to advertisers to raise quite a bit this year. Have to keep an eye on how this ends up being implemented.

[werty]

After playing with it and doing some searches, I like it, but I think it would be better if you could set you exact location. Being in a large city(chicago) something that says .13 miles away, but is actually like 6 miles away.

[eWhisper]

Many of the searches for large cities just can't seem to get the mileage right. In Chicago, the difference of 5 miles could be an hour at the wrong time of day - and is the difference between walking or taking a cab - a big difference to a lot of people in that city.

Hopefully, they'll get those issues types of issues corrected, but at least they are expanding and trying new things.

[justageek]

I guess I'm missing something. Other than being able to type your query in one box what other value does it have?

I thought this quote was interesting until I tried it and it brought back the same results as anyone else.

The company's patent-pending Keyword DNA technology utilizes business characteristics such as location, service area, and business-specific keywords, among other data, to create a unique local keyword profile for each of the 10 million U.S. businesses. This enables consumers to search directly for specific products and services rather than navigating through the IYP/YP category structure.

I took it to mean that I could search for maybe 'toys' as a keyword and get toy stores but I get no results. Not even a WalMart. I tried a half dozen or so different words and got very little if any results.

JAG

[Schoultz]

Hi, I work for Interchange/ePilot. Thanks for the valuable feedback. Keep in mind that the local search product is in pre-release mode, so not all categories and business listings are loaded.

Keyword DNA technology enables you to search for a product in a particular geographic area. For instance, if you are looking for "burrito," instead of searching for [Restaurants-Mexican; Dallas; TX], you may simply type in "burrito in Dallas."

Once all of the categories and business listings are loaded the product will be in production. In the meantime we appreciate your feedback and please keep the comments coming.

[258cib]

I tried dentists in my city and it came up with a listing of the dentists' home addresses and phone numbers, not their offices.

[Schoultz]

hmmm... that's odd. I don't know how that could happen. We use the same business-only database that the Yellow Page directories use. Send me your search terms and I'll check it out.

[justageek]

I tried it some more and it is extremely slow when bringing back many results. It also won't search when I use the enter key so I have to click the search button. In all fairness it is a pre release though. I think the press release was a bit premature given the problems it seems to have.

<added>
I also noticed how slow the map feature was. It's because the maps are being drawn from the free map server at the census bureau.
</added>

JAG

[Schoultz]

We're fixing the search box/return key issue today. Thanks for bringing it up. The platform is still on our production servers, which makes it a little slow at times. Once it is moved out of production, it will consistently return very fast results.