Dec 9, 2010 15:36 GMT  ·  By

There local and hyper local markets are mostly untapped as far as the web is concerned and there's no shortage of companies wanting a piece. So far, few have managed to make much inroad, but the lure is too great to pass up. Yahoo is making a move with the re-launch of Yahoo Local, in beta.

The new Yahoo Local is a rather dramatic shift from the previous offering and comes with a mix of news, events, things to do and so on, at the neighbourhood and city level.

It's available on the web for both desktops and mobile devices, with a dedicated mobile version for iPhone and Android.

"We are excited to make the new Yahoo! Local available in limited beta. With rich hyper-local content, this new product provides people a truly personalized experience across desktop and mobile, enabling them to discover and contribute to the best local news, deals, and events nearby, all in one place," Yahoo announced.

"Our goal with the new Yahoo! Local is to be the best place for people to find what’s happening in their neighborhoods, whether they’re at home or on the go," the announcement explained.

Yahoo Local focuses on several core things. One is local content, news and information. It relies on local publications but also on Community Writers to get content aimed directly at the small regions it's serving.

Yahoo relies on its newly launched Yahoo Contributor Network, the fruit of its Associated Content acquisition, for stories from community members.

It goes beyond content though, Yahoo Local includes deals and special offers from local businesses, originating from a number of deals sites, including Groupon.

Of course, it also enables local businesses to advertise on the site to a very targeted audience. This, along with the featured deals, could make the new product a real financial success, but with the number of companies and services competing in the market, Yahoo has its work cut out.

The new Yahoo Local is in beta in 30 locations in the US including San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Brooklyn, NY and Birmingham, Ferndale, and Royal Oak in Michigan. More locations will be available soon.