Authority In Local Search Michael W. Dobson PhD President TeleMapics LLC [email_address] 1 949 305 7156

Authority And Location Authority Of acknowledged accuracy or excellence Highly reliable, trustworthy Location A place where something is located; a site A position

Authority

Of acknowledged accuracy or excellence

Highly reliable, trustworthy

Location

A place where something is located; a site

A position

Local Search An attempt to search a database of business listings to determine the location of those businesses meeting the conditions stipulated by someone trying to find one nearby Connecting the location of the business with the searcher is the ultimate goal of the process

An attempt to search a database of business listings to determine the location of those businesses meeting the conditions stipulated by someone trying to find one nearby

Connecting the location of the business with the searcher is the ultimate goal of the process

Local Search Services Will be advertising or fee-driven Advertisers and users will expect the process to be authoritative People can find what they are looking for in the listings People can find the location in the real world The location provides the good or service desired

Will be advertising or fee-driven

Advertisers and users will expect the process to be authoritative

People can find what they are looking for in the listings

People can find the location in the real world

The location provides the good or service desired

Authority?

Is Local Search Authoritative? No – far from it

No – far from it

Error Sources In Local Search Map/navigation database Business listings database Geospatial functionality Geocoding Mapping techniques Projection selection/translation Datum selection/translation Search functionality

Map/navigation database

Business listings database

Geospatial functionality

Geocoding

Mapping techniques

Projection selection/translation

Datum selection/translation

Search functionality

So, Who Are The Authorities? Mapping Navteq? TeleAtlas? US census? ESRI? OpenStreetMap? Google Map Maker? Business owners?

Mapping

Navteq?

TeleAtlas?

US census?

ESRI?

OpenStreetMap?

Google Map Maker?

Business owners?

Authoritative?

Authoritative?

Authoritative?

Who Are The Authorities? Business listings infoUSA? Axciom? D&B? Amacai? Business owners?

Business listings

infoUSA?

Axciom?

D&B?

Amacai?

Business owners?

Who Are The Authorities? Geocoding Navteq? TeleAtlas? deCarta? ESRI? Microsoft? Google? Yahoo? Ask? Business owners?

Geocoding

Navteq?

TeleAtlas?

deCarta?

ESRI?

Microsoft?

Google?

Yahoo?

Ask?

Business owners?

More On Geocoding Geocoding errors Average in residential areas is 25 to 168 meters Major errors common Vendor address match rates (98%,82%, 81%, 30%) Average error distance in meters (1809, 748, 704, 228)

Geocoding errors

Average in residential areas is 25 to 168 meters

Major errors common

Vendor address match rates (98%,82%, 81%, 30%)

Average error distance in meters (1809, 748, 704, 228)

In Other Words “You have no idea how bad these data are.” John Hanke (product director Earth/Maps/Sketchup – Google ) During his presentation at ILM conference in 2007

“You have no idea how bad these data are.”

John Hanke (product director Earth/Maps/Sketchup – Google )

During his presentation at ILM conference in 2007

What Is Authoritative? Search functionality Classification of business Specialization of business What search terms should be used to find the business? What details about the business should be presented to the searcher? Service and product taxonomies/folksonomies

Search functionality

Classification of business

Specialization of business

What search terms should be used to find the business?

What details about the business should be presented to the searcher?

Service and product taxonomies/folksonomies

Who Are The Authorities? Search functionality Google? Yahoo? Microsoft? Companies that data mine their search click streams? Business owners?

Search functionality

Google?

Yahoo?

Microsoft?

Companies that data mine their search click streams?

Business owners?

Sources Of Error

Who Knows More Of The Answers Than Anyone Else? Business owners Know where they are located (street address, next to bank of America, at the intersection of, mall entrance 2 east, etc) Know their business specialties Know the client they want to attract And can provide relevant keywords and information to do so

Business owners

Know where they are located (street address, next to bank of America, at the intersection of, mall entrance 2 east, etc)

Know their business specialties

Know the client they want to attract

And can provide relevant keywords and information to do so

Where Is The Business Owner?

Why Do Business Owners Care About Local Search? Local search and mobile local search are replacing the yellow pages Listings information is not being controlled to benefit the business Correcting listing information requires significant effort, if it can be accomplished at all Lost connects result in lost business

Local search and mobile local search are replacing the yellow pages

Listings information is not being controlled to benefit the business

Correcting listing information requires significant effort, if it can be accomplished at all

Lost connects result in lost business

How To Improve Process? Owner generated content Substitute owner-informed positioning for geocoding. Involve business owner as curator of name, address, contact information. Product/service specialization and location. Create a business registry - partner with the business owner Now, let’s talk about how.

Owner generated content

Substitute owner-informed positioning for geocoding.

Involve business owner as curator of name, address, contact information. Product/service specialization and location.

Create a business registry - partner with the business owner

Now, let’s talk about how.

Financial Considerations Many of the major companies that currently license business listings data Collect/generate business listings as a sideline made possible by other data collection activities Business listings internet revenue appears not to be a viable method of creating a company based solely on business listings Are there UGC alternatives? Unlikely

Many of the major companies that currently license business listings data

Collect/generate business listings as a sideline made possible by other data collection activities

Business listings internet revenue appears not to be a viable method of creating a company based solely on business listings

Are there UGC alternatives?

Unlikely

Alternatives Create an enterprise that partners with the business owner to perform these functions: Business listings registry (authoritative) Business listings registry distribution Eventually real-time Business listing SEO Business website Geotagging Authoring, assistance, hosting, SEO, advertising, etc.

Create an enterprise that partners with the business owner to perform these functions:

Business listings registry (authoritative)

Business listings registry distribution

Eventually real-time

Business listing SEO

Business website Geotagging

Authoring, assistance, hosting, SEO, advertising, etc.

Alternatives Revenue Sources Business owner subscription Tiered subscription depending on services Subscriptions both a revenue source and a measure of “time to live” for contact info. periodic contact Modest distribution fee from online advertising Possible additional services.

Revenue Sources

Business owner subscription

Tiered subscription depending on services

Subscriptions both a revenue source and a measure of “time to live” for contact info.

periodic contact

Modest distribution fee from online advertising

Possible additional services.

Who Is Going Take This Challenge? Intuit? Acquired BooRah Has a relationship with business owners Already provides accounting and web services to SMBs Intellistry? infoUSA? Amacai?

Intuit?

Acquired BooRah

Has a relationship with business owners

Already provides accounting and web services to SMBs

Intellistry?

infoUSA?

Amacai?

One Final Note In some ways working with the business owner to create a registry of business listings is the correlate of driving the streets to create navigation databases. Data mining is not sufficient to create navigation databases Data mining is not sufficient to create authoritative directories of business listings

In some ways working with the business owner to create a registry of business listings is the correlate of driving the streets to create navigation databases.

Data mining is not sufficient to create navigation databases

Data mining is not sufficient to create authoritative directories of business listings

For More See our blog Exploring Local http://blog.telemapics.com

See our blog Exploring Local

http://blog.telemapics.com