WebProNews

New updates on Yahoo Maps bring along lots more neighborhoods and an improved style scheme to clearly represent map information.

Speed is of the essence for online resources like Yahoo Maps. We were pleased to see that idea reflected in one of the multitude of updates Yahoo delivered with their mapping service.

The Yahoo Local & Maps blog noted the reduction in map tile sizes, citing average reductions of between 30 to 60 percent. The presence of noteworthy mapping rivals like MapQuest and Windows Live Local make speed an imperative; take too long to serve up a result, and people will go elsewhere.

Adding new cities and neighborhoods as Yahoo accomplished with their update also bears mention in conjunction with their local and mobile search advertising goals. Maps will be an important component of advertising strategies for both market segments.

Serving maps well along with hyper-relevant listings and advertising should translate to paid search gains, particularly on the mobile side. Yahoo's improvements need to deliver on this to help prove the current management's strategy can deliver on company promises.