Street Fight Daily: Local Search Share Increases, The Bubble That Wasn’t
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.
Study: 43 Percent Of Total Google Search Queries Are Local (Search Engine Land)
Chitika found that 43 percent of the overall query volume coming from Google (mobile and PC) carried a local intent. Roughly two years ago Google reported that 20 percent of PC queries “were related to location,” and in 2011, the company said that 40 percent of mobile search traffic is local.
The Bubble That Wasn’t: What Happened to ‘People Discovery’ App (The Verge)
“There are all these reasons why learning about the people around us is high-friction, so we don’t do it and keep our headphones in and stare awkwardly at our phones,” Highlight founder Paul Davison told The Verge. “I’m completely convinced that in 10 years, you’ll walk into a room and you’ll know everyone’s name and where they work, and you’ll have something surface the most interesting things you have in common with people around you.”
St. Louis Public Radio, St. Louis Beacon to Explore ‘Combining Talents and Resources’ (Poynter)
St. Louis Public Radio and nonprofit news site the St. Louis Beacon signed a letter of intent to explore “options for strengthening regional news reporting by using their individual assets in combination,” the organizations say in a press release. This announcement indicates a willingness to take the existing partnership a lot further, and though it doesn’t use the word “merger,” Beacon Editor Margaret Wolf Freivogel is quoted in the release as saying, “By combining talents and resources, our organizations will again make this region a national leader in journalism that serves the community.”
EBay Battles Back With Mobile, Local, Personalization, And A More Streamlined PayPal (TechCrunch)
EBay did a staggering $5 billion in mobile commerce last year and expects to see $10 billion in transactions on mobile devices this year. Through the GSI, Milo, and Magento acquisitions, as well as the purchase of Hunch, Svvply, Card.io (PayPal) and others, it’s clear that eBay has a broader vision for its future beyond simply auctions.
Why You All So Kiasi? (TechCrunch)
Maps are really hard, but the industry aspects are even rougher than the technology. That’s why it’s time for mapping people to quit apologizing and go for the throat.
Why India’s Newspaper Industry Is Thriving (The New Yorker)
While profits have been declining at newspapers in the West, India is one of the few places on earth where newspapers still thrive; in fact, circulation and advertising are rising. In part, this is because many Indian newspapers, following an approach pioneered by the Jain brothers, have been dismantling the wall between the newsroom and the sales department.
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