Yahoo! Expands Mobile Search Features

Internet portal adds ability to send SMS search requests as well as expanding general search feature to support more WAP phones.

Yahoo! today expanded their reach into your cell phone as they announced the addition of a short messaging service (SMS) feature (also known as text messaging) and the expansion of their more general mobile search function. The changes are effective immediately across wireless providers in the United States.

The new Yahoo! SMS Search allows mobile phone users to open a new text message on their phone and send a “shortcut” search term and their request to 92466 (YAHOO) to get their desired information sent back to them. Shortcuts currently include local information, WiFi hotspot finder, weather, stock quotes and daily horoscopes. Select SMS Search results will provide a link to the company’s mobile service to get more information on the specific search, while other search results will include the ability to reply to a previous text message for additional or updated information.

As far as the expansion of Yahoo! Search on Mobile goes, the Internet company said they were adding support for a number of additional WAP 2.0 enabled handsets by translating full web pages to better fit the phones.

“We know that today consumers are on the go with their mobile phone and our search services represent a new way for them to get the relevant information they need quickly by using Yahoo!,” said Doug Garland, senior vice president, Yahoo! Mobile. “Yahoo!’s search services and shortcuts on mobile devices let consumers get the information they need — from finding the latest weather forecast, to updated stock quotes, to tracking down a good place to have lunch — from wherever they are.”

 More information on the new search features can be found here.