Yahoo! today announced that it has expanded the reach of its Yahoo! oneSearch service beyond Yahoo Go users and to all US mobile web users. Formerly part of the Yahoo Go interface, now almost any mobile web user (compatible more than 85 percent of mobile phones through the mobile web) can log into Yahoo oneSearch via their mobile browser and Yahoo will return the oneSearch experience best suited for that phone or mobile PDA’s browser.
The innovative search service that initially launched in Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0, is now accessible on more than 85 percent of mobile phones through the mobile Web and is also available through the gamma version of Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0.
In a mobile form of what reminds me a bit of the content driven Ask.com Smart Answers, Yahoo! oneSearch has the primary goal of bringing mobile web searchers exactly what they want on their mobile device : instant answers. The idea is to bring the most relevant and useful information to the mobile user in the most efficient time and space available, making best use of the small mobile browsers and judging the intent of the searcher.
The assumed intent of the searcher is the factor in deciding which Yahoo! content is served first during the oneSearch mobile experience. Yahoo oneSearch keeps track of current trends to deliver such targeted end results to the user, so a search for ‘300’ would result in movie information while a search for ‘pizza’ would list local pizza joints automatically instead of web sites about pizza.
For example, if the mobile user wants to go see 300 at the movies, they just need to type the name of the movie into the search box. The search results would first list the movie, including a user rating, local theaters the movie is playing at, news headlines related to the movie and more.
“Yahoo! oneSearch has already started to change the mobile search game by fundamentally improving the way consumers’ access and use the Internet on their mobile phones,” said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of connected life, Yahoo!. “Consumers that have tried oneSearch love it, telling us it’s easier and more helpful than any other mobile search services they’ve used. We are delivering the results consumers want with just one search, not a list of Web links.”
I find the integration of user generated content to be a real winner with the Yahoo! oneSearch interface and since restaurant and entertainment searches can lead to user ratings and reviews, businesses should put an extra emphasis on their Yahoo Local listings and further motivate their customer base to review them online.
Adding to the experience is a new opportunity for Yahoo Search Marketing advertisers to reach the mobile user as Yahoo! oneSearch runs sponsored search results and display advertisements built into the experience. Consumers can click on a sponsored search ad to be delivered to the advertisers’ mobile web site, landing page or to call the advertiser.
