Wired have an excellent report on the state of Local Guide sites such as CitySearch. These sites have been less successful than expected, citing general disinterest as the primary cause. This suprised me, I thought sites with a local focus would be big drawers but it seems that people want more than that without paying for it. It can be difficult getting local business buy in if the returns in increased sales don't materialise for months. Some guides are turning to more interactive content:

"You will be able to make reservations, set up an appointment with your doctor, or reserve a tennis court. Anything that you have to pick up a phone for right now, " [David Hagan, president of city guides at CitySearch