I actually had lunch with a ClickitySplit person recently. I don't believe he used the term "Visual Marketplace" but that's what the local search site uses as its tag. The idea is that local businesses post updateable "billboards" on the map. Whose map? WebProNews says it's Virtual Earth and the logo appears on the map. The website FAQ notes: "Our proprietary map control allows you to zoom in and de-cluster the dots that signify business locations."

No matter the tech, the challenge I think is to convince mom and pop and chains that they need to be on the major serach engines and thus in their local searches and ALSO be in all these other player's offerings. There's quite a chicken and egg thing, too: surfters won't visit unless the maps are well populated and mortar-based stores and restaurants won't buy billboards unless there's traffic.

- WebProNews