Ask.com launches local search with maps for the US.

The search engine companies have for a long time understood the importance of local search, partly because it gives them the opportunity to present pay-per-click text ads side by side with info on the local scene (shops, cinemas, restaurants, plumbers — you name it).

They also hope take over the “yellow pages” and local classifies ad markets. (They probably will).

Ask.com does not intend to be left behind Google (Google Maps), Yahoo! (Yahoo! Local) and Microsoft (MSN City Guides and Windows Live Local) in this arena.

The company has now replaced the old Ask Local with map based AskCity. Like its competitors AskCity combines regular maps and satellite photos with a search engine for local businesses and services.

You may type in the name or type of the business, event, or movie you want, and the name of the location (city, ZIP, address, intersections, or even neighborhood) where you want to find it.

For this you use the search field in the left hand side of the home page, a search area which is divided into the three categories listed above: businesses (”yellow pages”), events (concerts, shows etc.), movies and maps and directions (street addresses etc.)

All hits will lead to a written search engine result, as well as a relevant map.

You may take a screen shots of the relevant maps for print outs or just in order to save them on your computer. As long as you have used the “Take Snapshot of Current Map” function to save your maps and have cookies enabled in your browser, your maps will be saved.

Actually, you may even write and draw on the maps before sending them by mail to your friends — you know, for the “let’s meet here” kind of emails.

Many search results will be accompanies by ratings from CitySearch, Yelp.com , Insiderpages and others (many of them websites owned by InterActiveCorp, the company which bought Ask — or Ask Jeeves as it was called then — in March 2005).

You can also combine searches, for instance by choosing a restaurant and then add a search for movies or concerts close by. Furthermore, you may book tickets for those events on the site through Ticketmaster or TicketWeb.

But, alas, it only covers the US for the moment.

All in all this is a very good service, and AskCity should be able to face up to the main competitors. However, as Phil Bradley points out, there are probably a few inconsistencies that have to be sorted out.

AskCity supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 1.5+, Opera 8+ and Safari 2+. Javascript mus be enabled.

More info here:
Ask.com to launch City service (Business Week)
Ask.com Retools With Focus on Local Coverage (New York Times)
AskCity Help

More local search tools.