Local search seems to be one of the verticals that could best benefit from the blending of social networking and search -- as personal experience with a local business could go a long way to raising
(or lowering) its ranking. In a bid to increase user retention as well as leverage the power of social interaction for search, local product and promotion site ShopLocal.com has added
community-building tools like profile creation and discussion forums.
Read the whole story at Search Engine Watch »