Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the launch of Gaode's "Street Ranking" project, which aims to compete with platforms like Dazhong Dianping by leveraging real user behavior data and integrating it with Alipay's credit scoring system to enhance its ranking credibility [2][3][6]. Group 1: Product Launch and Features - Gaode's "Street Ranking" was officially launched on September 10, 2023, and claims to have over 40 million daily active users, making it the largest food ranking platform in China [6]. - The ranking system incorporates various user behaviors, including navigation and search, with higher weights given to users with higher Alipay Sesame scores [3][6]. - This is not Gaode's first attempt to enter the local services market; a similar initiative called "Gaode Guide" was launched five years ago, emphasizing real user experiences [7][11]. Group 2: Historical Context and Strategic Decisions - Gaode was acquired by Alibaba in 2014, during a time when the O2O (Online to Offline) market was highly competitive, but Gaode chose to focus solely on navigation rather than O2O services [12][16]. - Under the leadership of Yu Yongfu, Gaode's user base grew significantly, surpassing Baidu Maps in active users, but the monetization of navigation apps remains a challenge [19][20]. - In 2022, the global revenue for navigation platforms was approximately $16.2 billion, which is significantly lower than social media and e-commerce platforms [21][22]. Group 3: Challenges in Monetization and User Engagement - The inherent tool-like nature of navigation apps poses a challenge for user engagement and monetization, as users typically do not spend extended periods on these platforms [24][25]. - Despite Gaode's high daily active user count, it struggles to convert this traffic into revenue, as evidenced by the low monetization rates across the industry [20][41]. - The article highlights that Gaode's attempts to diversify its offerings have not significantly changed its core user engagement metrics, which remain focused on navigation [26][41]. Group 4: Competitive Landscape - The article compares Gaode's efforts to those of Dazhong Dianping, emphasizing that while Gaode has a large user base, it lacks the content ecosystem that allows for effective user engagement and monetization [39][40]. - Dazhong Dianping has successfully built a robust user-generated content platform, which Gaode is attempting to replicate but faces challenges due to its tool-centric identity [35][41]. - The historical context of other platforms like Koubei, which struggled to find a foothold in the competitive landscape, is also discussed, illustrating the difficulties faced by Gaode in establishing itself as a leader in local services [52][54].