Update: Citysearch adds video in redesign

IAC/InterActiveCorp’s Citysearch has gotten its first major update in three years, as this online guide for local entertainment and businesses debuts videos on its site, latching on to one of the hottest trends on the Internet today.

In addition to videos, Citysearch also sports a revamped layout, new search functionality and a feature that automatically generates personalized recommendations of things to do and places to visit based on popularity and search activity, Citysearch said Wednesday.

For video, Citysearch has taped interviews with business owners and shot views of their establishments, so that users get a better feel for whether they’d like to visit that particular restaurant or shop.

Beverly Loan Company, an upscale jewelry and watch pawn shop in Beverly Hills, California, has had its video up for about a month on its dedicated Citysearch page, and has noticed a “dramatic increase” in Web site traffic.

Because pawnshops have a reputation as seedy places, the video allows Beverly Loan, established in 1938, to emphasize that it is an exception in this market.

“The video gives people an idea of what they’re walking into. They understand we’re an upscale shop that protects customers’ confidentiality, that’s reliable and has been in business for many years,” said owner Jordan Tabach-Bank.

Citysearch plays in the overall online market of local information, which, in addition to city guides, includes business listings directories and local search engines.

Although the way they present information may vary, these sites all focus on the same goal: Providing information about a specific geographic area, often along with maps, driving directions, customer reviews, ratings and entertainment listings.

The Kelsey Group expects advertisers to spend $11.1 billion in 2011 in these sites, compared with $4.1 billion last year, a compound annual growth rate of 22.3 percent.

Citysearch got another boost in March, when IAC acquired Insider Pages, a city guide with hundreds of thousands of user reviews of local businesses and 2 million unique users per month, to make it part of Citysearch, which at the time had about 13 million unique monthly visitors. Together, they have more than 1 million reviews and local business listings in over 500 categories in every U.S. Zip code.

In December, IAC strengthened its local search engine, renaming it AskCity and redesigning it so that it can deliver information contained in other IAC sites like Citysearch, Ticketmaster and ServiceMagic.

Currently, Citysearch contributes basic business listing information to AskCity, but not other features, like the new videos, a Citysearch official said. Citysearch plans to roll out more enhancements to its site later this year.