You can tell an awful lot about a company based on its acquisition strategy. I’m seeing someone that basically wants to own providing information to us about both travel and local. Content is King may just be their new tagline.
Google Buys Zagat: It’s All About Local | Digital – Advertising Age
With Deal, Internet Giant Is Starting to Look a Little More Like a Media Company
By: Kunur Patel Published: September 08, 2011
Share Email Print RSS
Google has acquired Zagat, a high-end restaurant and shopping reviews publisher, to bolster its local business content.
“Moving forward, Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering,” wrote Marissa Mayer, Google VP-local, maps and location services, in a blog post announcing the deal.
Until now, the search giant has populated its Google Places pages with aggregated content from outside sources, which until recently included Yelp reviews. However, Yelp, a user-generated reviews site for local businesses, found Google Places to be in direct competition to its business. With Zagat publishing arguably some of the most respected restaurant reviews and ratings, Google now has its own store of highly respected local content. The restaurant and shopping reviews publisher has been in the business more than 30 years and covers 13 categories in more than 100 cities.
For the rest of the article, click HERE