The Zagat - Google Partnership
Bv: MIKE ELIAS
Zagat and Its Effect On Google+
Over the past few years I’ve spent helping boost my clients’ Google + Local listings, a number of things have changed. First, Google + Local was formerly called, “Google Places” which was pure and simply Google’s business listings. There was no social media interaction involved back then as there is currently with Google +. And the rating system was based on a 5 star scale…one familiar to most of the population.
Enter the end of May, 2012. Google announced that Zagat and their 0-30 rating scale would be replacing the 5 star scale that had been in place since Google Places began. The days of easily recognizing the 5 star model, would now be faced with confusion in the 30 point scale.
Zagat History
Zagat was founded in 1979 by Tim and Nina Zagat. The Zagat’s were at a dinner party with friends when someone began complaining about the restaurant reviews in a popular newspaper. It was agreed upon that the reviews in the paper were erratic. Tim decided to survey the group of friends which resulted in amateur critic ratings of over 200 people which reviewed their top 100 restaurants for food, décor, service, and cost. The results were a big hit as copies were scooped up by people all over town.
Zagat is available in over 100 countries and covers everything from dining and shopping, to music, movies, and everything in between.
In September of 2011, Google paid $151 to purchase Zagat, and within 8 months, has moved in to become the new face of Google + reviews.
The Google Places Rating Model
In April, 2010, the Local Business Center became Google Places. Like most other review sites, Google Places had a 5 star system in place, whereas a “1 star rating” would be the lowest, and a “5 star rating” would be the highest. This scale was so popular because it was so easily recognized. Sites such as Yelp, CitySearch, SuperPages, etc. all use the same system and the stars themselves are easily distinguished. One could see 4 stars out of 5 that were shaded and understand what that meant (something along the lines of “very good”).
Businesses that had at least 5 reviews on their Google Places page would be able to have their star rating shown and highlighted in yellow in the local searches. This was huge because the listing would stand out above the others that didn’t have the minimum required reviews on their listing.
Other sites such as Yelp, Insider Pages, Yellow Pages, City Search, etc. would also have their review links listed within the Google Places page so customers could see how the business fared on other sites. This was very helpful for comparison purposes to see if the business really lived up to its rating on all accounts.
The Google + Rating Model
When Zagat ratings replaced the Google Places model mentioned above, there was a bit of confusion since the new 0-30 point scale was drastically different to what most people were familiar with in the 5 star scale.
This was posted on Zagat’s website on the day they were acquired by Google.
The 30 point scale used by Zagat has always primarily been for restaurants, as that is where their “Food,” “Décor,” and “Service” ratings are best suited.
Restaurant Rating Example on Zagat
All other businesses are given an “overall” rating score since the 3 categories mentioned above (Food, Décor, and Service) wouldn’t apply.
Overall Rating Example on Zagat
The comparative review sites (Yelp, Insider Pages, Yellow Pages, City Search, etc.) that were previously listed with the Google Places results are also no longer given on the Google + listings.
Individual reviews are now rated on a 0-3 scale, making things even more confusing combined with the 0-30 scale for the total rating of the business.
Complaints About the New Rating Scale
It’s hard to please everyone, but there are a number of valid points with regards to the negativity surrounding the new rating scale.
· The Visual Effect: Google Places had a yellow star rating that was visually appealing. If your listing had the minimum requirement of 5 Google reviews, then your listing would show your overall star rating in yellow. Having your listing in yellow will set it apart from the other listings that are in plain black. So anyone could easily distinguish your business from another by seeing your star rating front and center making a decision for them much easier.
· Red Ratings: A user commented on a Barry Schwartz article here on the confusion with Zagat
color coding their higher numbered/rated reviews in “red.” He pointed out that red is usually a sign for “danger,” so a higher number in red would mean to stay away. But in this case, Zagat is showing favor to those higher ratings by labeling them in red.
· Click Through Rate: For those businesses with a well optimized Google Places listing, their establishment could be on the “7 Box” of search results for a given keyword. And if they had a good star rating with over 5 Google reviews, their listing would stand out even further. Now, with the star ratings gone and replaced with simple numbered ratings where “red” is good, many businesses have begun seeing lower CTR. Schwartz pointed out in the same article mentioned above a specific merchant from a Google Business help thread was receiving 30-60 visits per day from his Google Places listing, and since the change in rating scale, he’s now getting 0-5 visits per day. I’m sure he’s not alone in this aspect and this goes to show the number of problems arising.
Does this scoring system make sense to you?
Here’s a before and after shot of Google Places results and now Google + Local results (courtesy of
Barry Schwartz and agency3)
Changes On the Horizon
At the time of this writing (October 2012), there have already been some things updated on the Google
Non-restaurant individual review example.
Restaurant individual review example.
Currently, the main page results continue to show the same 0-30 point scale, but it makes you wonder if that too will be changed in favor of the descriptive format shown above. If I had to guess, I would say the descriptive format will soon be on the main search results page, and potentially even back to the star rating system at some point.
Where Should Your Clients Focus On Reviews?
At this point, it’s tough to call especially with the recent updates that are happening (as mentioned above). I definitely think that a majority of a business’s reviews should come from their Google + listing as Google at this time is still favoring those over the third party sites (Yelp, Insider Pages, Yellow Pages, City Search, etc.). But, that could easily change at any time.
Regardless, it’s a good idea to have a well balanced mix of reviews from various sources, both Google and third party sites alike. This way, if Google does decide to give those third party sites more authority
Be sure your clients are targeting a balanced mix of reviews from a number of different sources.
Conclusion
Google + is still evolving and I don’t see it settling down any time soon. Zagat has made an appearance and could be going away all in the same year when talking about Google + listings.
The most important thing I’ve taught my students and clients alike is to be sure to continue building reviews from multiple sources. This can be done very easily by simply asking your customer for a review. Post a link on your site (or download a plugin), print a link on a QR code and place it on receipts, etc.
The possibilities of getting reviews are endless, you just need to be sure you’re getting them from your actual customers (no fake reviews) and work hard to keep your brand profitable and your image positive.
If you have any questions about Google + reviews or need help with anything related to Google + Local/Google Places, please send me an email at workingwithmikerightnow@gmail.com.
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