jatiN mahindrA doT coM

The next time you want to look up or research a local business, Yahoo intends to be there for you.  Yahoo Shortcuts now display a lot more information right on the regular results pages, which should make the search process less click-intensive and time-consuming.

If you supply a business’s name and city (or even a business type and zip code), the Yahoo Shortcut is supposed to return one or more mapped-out results.  Basic (but helpful) info including telephone numbers and hours of operation is often supplied.  Then, things get a little more interesting with dropdown menus offering directions and Yahoo Local reviews.

Sometimes photos, Web reviews, and overviews (not shown above) will even be tossed into the mix.

A post on the Yahoo Search Blog explains, "The local enhanced Shortcut brings the most relevant information from across the Web so you can find what you need in one place.  It is also a part of our continuing effort to better understand query intent – what users mean in their queries – and to match it with the right content."

The upgrade seemed both accurate and helpful throughout a little bout of testing.

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