Yahoo's got something to offer people who are tired of typing cities' names and zip codes into search boxes.  Today, the company announced improved local business results that will allow users to find nearby places without first providing tons of details.

Nitzan Achsaf, a senior product manager, explained all of the details on the Yahoo Search Blog.  He wrote, "For example, if you are in the Palo Alto area and search for 'evvia,' Yahoo! Search displays the local shortcut for the restaurant, including address, phone number, and reviews."

The same trick applies to searches for broader business categories.  And Achsaf also noted, "[W]hen you search for business categories or business chains, you can now filter the results further by neighborhood or nearby cities in one click.  If the location is a major city, you can filter the results by neighborhood.  Otherwise, you can refine the results by nearby cities."

Although these changes may not be flashy, they should prove useful to a lot of folks on a regular basis.

People on the corporate side of things are liable to appreciate the tweaks, too, as they almost work out to free advertising.

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