Ask Jeeves is the latest search engine to join the "local search" frenzy. They will be relying on InterActiveCorp's Citysearch for content beginning in September. About 10% of Ask's searches are for local information.

Yahoo! has finally rolled out a test version of its much-anticipated local search service. Yahoo Local offers Yellow Pages data, descriptions of businesses, addresses, maps and recommendations. The engine combines Yahoo! Yellow Pages, Yahoo! Maps and Yahoo! Search, and is an attempt to grab a slice of the $14 billion local advertising pie now being gobbled up by printed phone directories.

Of course, search engine leader Google has been been beta-testing local search for several months now.

What does this all mean for local businesses? That is the subject of another post I'm working on now.