1. A method comprising: receiving, using one or more computing devices, a search request from a user; determining, using the one or more computing devices, a first business category based on the search request; determining, using the one or more computing devices, a search location associated with the search request, wherein the search location is selected from a he group consisting of one or more of an explicit location included in the search request, a location associated with results responsive to the search request, GPS coordinates for a location, and a location of interest associated with the search request; determining, using the one or more computing devices, a particular geographic area that is to be used as criteria for selecting content, wherein the particular geographic area defines a shape associated with the search location and wherein the shape is determined based on the search location; determining, using the one or more computing devices, a number of businesses in the first business category that are located in the particular geographic area that is associated with the search location, wherein determining the number of businesses in the first business category that are located in the particular geographic area is based at least in part on the first business category and the search location associated with the search request; determining, using the one or more computing devices, that the number of businesses that are in the first business category and that are located in the particular geographic area is a number of multiple businesses that is greater than a predefined threshold; identifying, using the one or more computing devices, a second business category that is a more narrow business category than the first business category in response to determining that the number of businesses that are in the first business category and that are located in the particular geographic area is a number of multiple businesses that is greater than the predefined threshold, wherein the more narrow business category is a business category for which a smaller number of businesses are identified for the search request than for a broader business category, and wherein the broader business category is a business category for which a greater number of businesses are identified for the search request than for the more narrow business category; determining, using the one or more computing devices, local content to provide to the user based at least in part on the particular geographic area, the second business category, and the search location; and providing for display to the user, using the one or more computing devices, the local content.