FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON DC – Bloom, the mapping platform for news, has introduced a proximity plugin called News Nearby Search that provides location search and sort functionality for hyperlocal websites. Aside from a typical search that just understands text, readers can now search content by actual cities, neighborhoods, and specific addresses. The plugin also has a geolocation option that sorts news by distance from the user’s current location.
News Nearby Search is the second plugin offering from Bloom that focuses on proximity. The first plugin, News Nearby Channel, was introduced in August to provide a simple news feed based on a location defined by the publisher. With this new plugin, much more flexibility is available for the user to explore news in the cities and neighborhoods covered on the news website. Offering location search makes it possible for any reader to easily personalize their experience rather than be confined to the experience defined on a homepage.
“This plugin gave us a chance to explore location-based data outside of a map interface. We’ve been refining our proximity technology on Bloom’s website and are very excited to offer it to other websites now too.” says co-founder Stephen Jefferson.
News Nearby Search only displays articles specified by its authors, putting them in control of the content and locations that can be searched. The plugin was designed to conform with many different layouts and devices, including tablets and phones, without interfering with the website’s existing functionality. News Nearby Search is a free plugin and requires a Bloom account to register it for a website. For easy installation, Bloom provides an embed tool and a WordPress plugin on their website at www.bloom.li.
###