MySpace Teams with CitySearch to Launch Local Business Portal

MySpace has teamed up with business directory Citysearch to create a socially-oriented search portal within the MySpace community. The result is a new section called MySpace Local. This new directory is not yet available, but will be launched in beta later on this week.

Citysearch is bringing its database to the table, while MySpace is going to be “socializing” the whole affair. In doing so, businesses will be able to connect with each other, and users will be able to connect with businesses. MySpace Local will over listing pages for small businesses, which will cover three categories at launch: Restaurants, Bars and Nightife. On each listing page, users will be able to rate, review and share media for each business. Users will also be able to add the business to their profile, share a business listing with friends, and add it to their bookmarks.

To actually localize the upcoming MySpace Local section, MySpace wil be creating hubs for all major cities in the U.S. These hubs will be ripe with search functions with filtering options for neighborhoods, business categories, cuisine type, etc. MySpace has also indicated that celebrity reviews will be incorporated into the hub pages, which appears to be a form of editorial content garnering the interest of users.

It’s not a far stretch for Myspace to create a dedicated space on its site for business directory listings, search options and networking capabilities. For years now, MySpace has been a good promotional tool for businesses, especially those in the music industry. And other changes made to the MySpace layout in the past year have also made it more possible for brands to create specialized pages through which they can connect with users. Layering in Citysearch only enhances the direction in which MySpace has been headed for some time.

For MySpace, there are several implications that come along with the introduction of MySpace Local. On the one hand, this new directory portal will compete with the likes of Yelp and even Facebook’s own recently modified Public Pages. One benefit MySpace may have over Facebook in this regard is the ready-made database that Citysearch provides, as opposed to relying completely on the businesses themselves to crerate their pages.

MySpace Local could also offer up useful channels for direct content distribution to users, sending them coupons, special discounts, exclusive content, and more. This would be especially powerful as there will likely be added integration with MySpace’s own platform, which adds to the viral potential of a business utilizing the Local portal.

Building on MySpace Local will be a slew of commercial opportunities for the businesses as well as for MySpace. It sets the stage for integrated payment options from which users can benefit, as well as extended revenue generation for MySpace, from ads or premium features. This is a particularly useful format that mimics some of the updates we’ve seen on other sites seeking more commercial integration, such as Trulia.

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