CitySquares.com, a localized search engine that started in Boston and has made its way throughout New England and to New York, is the fastest growing search engine on the web, according to Quantcast. And there’s good reason for it: it’s an excellent service and could be a harbinger of things to come, particularly when it comes to mobile search.

The site has grown steadily after its launch in 2005, now featuring over 1.5 million businesses in the Northeast. It’s really a handy site. For example, I can narrow New York down to Brooklyn, narrow Brooklyn down to my old neighborhood, Greenpoint, and search for restaurants, nightclubs, bars, businesses, and just about anything else.

Now here’s what would be seriously awesome: a service like this that could pinpoint your location via GPS (or just take your address) and use that to point you to the closest type of business your looking for with something like Google Maps. Suppose you’re staying at some hotel in NYC and you want Thai delivery. The site would spit out a list of the closest Thai restaurants, include reviews and details from others users, and let you make a choice.

Of course, just Googling something like “thai restaurants near 28 e. 4th st, new york, ny, 10003″ gives you a pretty good result. Still, a mobile widget that utilizes GPS would be great for drivers, pedestrians, and tourists looking for something specific in an unfamiliar place. This may already be out there and I just don’t have it yet. Let me know if that’s the case.

Still, CitySquares.com shows that there’s a lot of growth possible in niche and/or localized search. Those interested in advertising in the Northeast should also note that campaigns with CitySquares are fully customizable with SEO tools and other features to optimize their investment.

Thanks to Nathania Johnson at Search Engine Watch for the story.

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