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New Citysearch Coming Out of Beta

The new, more neighborhood and Facebook-friendly version of Citysearch is coming out of beta. I wrote previously about the changes and redesign. 

Here’s an update on progress and performance from the NY Times’ Claire Cain Miller. 

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Simultaneous with this revamp was the introduction of a new iPhone app, which according to the Times’ article has seen considerable usage and is generating revenue. 

In your view has Citysearch regained its mojo?

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Here’s the Citysearch press release.

This entry was posted on March 19, 2009 at 11:54 am and is filed under Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Mobile, User-generated content. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

6 Responses to “New Citysearch Coming Out of Beta”

  1. Katherine Says:
    March 19, 2009 at 12:40 pm

    Citysearch dropped the ball while Yelp stole the market. They can attempt to utilize Facebook, but Yelp’s built in community not only makes the content more trustworthy, but moreover strengthens its following. Good luck Citysearch!

  2. Zach Says:
    March 19, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    CitySearch’s traffic still dwarf’s yelp’s – I personally prefer Yelp, but CitySearch has not dropped the ball: http://local-research.blogspot.com/2008/08/iyp-reach-in-us-according-to-google.html

  3. Brad Says:
    March 19, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    I somewhat agree with Zach (and thanks for linking to my blog by the way). CitySearch hasn’t dropped the ball (though like most IAC companies, they haven’t made any real leaps forward), but Yelp has definitely made great strides in the markets in which they are prominent. I personally think it’s only a matter of time until they do overtake CS, although they have to deal with their trust issues soon:

    http://local-research.blogspot.com/2009/03/yelp-entering-dangerous-territory.html

  4. Perry Says:
    March 19, 2009 at 8:42 pm

    I think CitySearch has broader appeal demographically, and finally appears to have stepped up on technology. CS is miles ahead in having an in place sales presence, and in business promotion/advertiser products. As much as I prefer the Yelp experience, it’s way too early to declare Yelp king of the hill in the era of Facebook, Twitter and mobile.

    The rules will be rewritten against this backdrop, and Yelp has not yet commanded a driving role on any of those dimensions. User reviews are fighting commodity status, and the “enclosed community” feel of Yelp, while appealing, isn’t enough long-term.

    my two cents.

  5. Greg Sterling Says:
    March 20, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    Thoughtful comments Perry. The notion of reviews as “commodity” is very interesting. I partly agree and disagree. Where does brand and trust play here?

  6. Citysearch Debuts Clever Vertical Strategy « Screenwerk Says:
    March 24, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    […] I spoke to Citysearch CEO Jay Herratti yesterday, now that the new and improved Citysearch has gone into general availability. We talked about many things, among them how much traffic — and reviews — are coming […]

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