'Matjip Search' Becomes More Refined... Naver Revamps Local Search

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Naver is integrating search technology into 'Keyword Reviews.' This allows users to explore more segmented local information tailored to their search intent.

On the 9th, Naver announced the introduction of a 'Keyword Review Filter' in search results. In addition to the already provided filters such as 'Open Businesses Information' and 'Business Information by Menu,' users can now gather information focused on business 'features' like ▲Great for special occasions ▲Photos come out well.

Last July, Naver launched the 'Keyword Review' system, which focuses on reviews emphasizing the characteristics and uniqueness of businesses, and the data accumulated over about 1 year and 4 months has now become meaningfully usable in the search domain. The Keyword Review Filter is initially applied to the restaurant industry and is expected to expand to other industries starting next year.

With over 400 million text and photo reviews organically reflected in search, more accurate search results aligned with user intent can be provided. For example, when a user searches for 'Hannam-dong steak,' photos of steaks uploaded by customers for each business are prioritized, and steak-related reviews are also introduced.

This update is a case where not only the review content accumulated on Naver but also the search technology that has been independently advanced were utilized. Throughout the process of finding reviews that match user search intent among numerous reviews, 'AI Snippet' technology was applied.

For search terms related to menu and atmosphere, 'Context Clustering' technology, which cross-references and matches text and image information, was used to find and display appropriate images. In the final process of recommending businesses to users, Naver's location recommendation search engine 'AirSPACE' was utilized.

Naver is striving to activate reviews with rich content about various regions and foods, so local search results are expected to become more refined in the future. Seasonal and other factors that change regional trends will also be reflected going forward.

Sehoon Lee, Naver Place Search Leader, said, “Starting with Keyword Reviews, the results of Naver’s efforts to improve review culture have met with unique proprietary search technology, updating the service so that SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) can connect with users by highlighting their individuality even in the search environment.” He added, “Going forward, review content will serve as content where users share vivid local news and help users acquire information tailored to their needs across various Naver services.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.