Today they include social networks, individuals, cities, neighborhoods, landmarks, and actions that are relevant to the searcher's past, current, and future location.
These parameters provide structure to vertically deep and horizontally broad data categories that can stand-alone or are combined to comprise searchable directories.
Mobile local search involves in some cases GPS tracking, which, without prior consent, may cause privacy concerns.
Although GPS-enabled devices are not prevalent yet, industry experts show that consumers are demanding mobile local search now, with an expected growth of 91% from 2007 to 2011.
As a consequence, there is a gap in this opportunity that can be cleverly addressed by mobile operators and service providers with access to the SS7 layer.
Mobile search content may include more location-based and more street-smart information on businesses, products, services, events, human relations and other local specifics, which require immediacy and spontaneity.
Besides, the location-based content may be formulated by accumulative data mining on consumer behaviors and whereabouts, which may trigger privacy concerns, commercial come-ons and, if necessary, some legislative justifications.
They may want to hear about traffic conditions, the score from the local football game, the winning lottery number or where to go to vote.
They want to "quickly and unobtrusively" zero in on the type of local information they are looking for, due to privacy, safety and time pressure.
In this model answers are sent in reply to directory service queries similar to the nature of conventional 411 operators.
Behind these outlets, there is a growing network of agencies, distributors and software providers, some of whom are now starting to offer service direct to the public.
Search giants, like Yahoo and Google, and big web publishers, such as Amazon.con and eBay have already embarked on this potentially lucrative market segment.
Caller-pays voice-based local mobile search services are common outside North America, but have been slow to emerge in the USA due to regulatory restrictions.
In hybrid models, advertising revenue lets the service provider offer reduced rates.