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CitySearch To Acquire Local Search/Review Site InsiderPages

By Rafat Ali - Thu 01 Mar 2007 05:25 AM PST

CitySearch, part of IAC, has bought out local search and reviews site InsiderPages, for an undisclosed amount. The Redwood City, CA-based site’s roughly 600,000 user reviews will be folded into the Citysearch database.
The site, founded in 2004, helps people find local businesses through recommendations from their friends, community, and expert reviewers. It will remain separate following the acquisition.
WSJ: IAC is trying to put Citysearch back on track with an array of new features. The site is helping small businesses to post their own videos on the site and expects to launch with several hundred short clips by May. And it’s looking to InsiderPages, which has some two million unique monthly U.S. visitors, according to comScore, to help it quickly boost its audience and authority by adding more voices from real people.

Posted in: Companies, IACI, Technologies/Formats, Search, VC+M&A

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From Jeremy Liew Thu 01 Mar 2007 11:45 AM

Local is a tough business. My first job in the internet industry was at CitySearch, where we were selling websites door to door in 1996 to pizzarias, auto body shops and nail salons. I posted some commentary on the difficulties in the online cityguide business at the Lightspeed blog - if you’re interested click through on my name in this post

From Eric Leslie Wed 04 Apr 2007 08:07 AM

This seems like a smart step for CitySearch. Social Search is becoming more prominent as traditional algorithms no longer bring the relevant results sophisticated searchers are now seeking. It’s an element Y! has been implimenting into their local side, with ratings and reviews.
I’m not sure however, if this helps CitySearch become anymore of a player in the local search field, but I will most certainly keep an eye on their monthly search volumes.