Apptus technology behind successful relaunch of UK's local search engine Yell.com
In April 2009, Yell.com, the UK’s local search engine for UK business listings, relaunched with a new design and a wealth of new relevant content to help consumers find and select the best local and national businesses for their needs. “Apptus has provided an integral element of our newly relaunched website, enabling the extraction of key information about advertisers’ businesses and services from their own websites for display on Yell.com,” says Matthew Bottomley, Yell.com’s director of new media product marketing.Key to the expansion of information about businesses displayed on Yell.com, has been a project in partnership with Apptus Technologies AB. Apptus worked with Yell.com to develop tools to allow the regular extraction of structured information from the websites of more than 100,000 businesses in the UK. This included extracting introductory paragraphs, images, keywords and phrases relevant to the business, and all the necessary work for a successful launch was completed within a three month development window.
“This provides consumers with further valuable data about advertisers and is part of wider developments designed to help them make better decisions on selecting a business or service. Apptus has provided excellent, timely support to deliver a key project,” says Matthew Bottomley.
The content enrichment software enables Yell.com to feed the search layer with additional search attributes, reduce no-hits by providing relevant keywords specific to each advertiser and create enriched profile pages with comprehensive business information.
“Using these tools the sales force has the capability of visualizing enriched profile pages for each advertiser and better preparing the sales call through “easy-to-grasp” intelligence about the advertiser’s products or brands, online sales capabilities and suitable classifications.” says Michael Mokhberi, CEO at Apptus.
So successful was the launch that Yell.com has now committed to expanding the programme to include the extraction of further information from business websites.
For more information please contact:
Apptus
Jennie Magnusson, Apptus
Mobile: +46 701 664138
E-mail: jennie.magnusson@apptus.com
Yell
Jon Salmon, Yell Press Office
Phone: 0118 950 6656
Mobile: 07801 977340
E-mail: jon.salmon@yellgroup.com
About Apptus
Apptus is a private company, headquartered in Sweden with sales organizations in Europe and North America. As the Nordic leader within the field of search and database technology, Apptus provides solutions and products that ensure accessibility for customers with growing data sets and strong demands for search logistics, relevant results and connections to the customer's own business. Apptus primarily supplies solutions to customers within the fields of e-directory and e-commerce. Among the customers are Quebecor, Fonecta, Lokaldelen, DeGuleSider, Hitta.se, Eniro, IKEA, Panduro Hobby, ATEA, Bokus, CDON. Apptus conducts research in search and database technology. Apptus’ keywords are quality, result and growth.
www.apptus.com
About Yell.com
Launched in 1996, Yell.com is a leading local search engine and major online advertising medium for UK businesses. Yell.com provides users with a direct route to finding a business or service online using keyword, type of business, or company name and location as search criteria. Users can review relevant search results and quickly determine the right business for their needs. Yell.com’s database of over two million UK business listings including 215,000searchable advertisers (June 2009) can be accessed via the web site (www.yell.com) and mobile channels including JAVA™ and WAP services. Yell.com provides several useful features such as zoom-enabled maps with directions, closest car parks and a personal Yell.com address book facility to keep a record of regularly used businesses.
Yell.com is part of Yell, a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America through printed, online and telephone-based media. Yell’s principal brands include: in the UK, Yellow Pages, Yell.com and 118 24 7; in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com; and in Spain, Paginas Amarillas and PaginasAmarillas.es. All these brands are trademarks.
www.yellgroup.com
