New Google+ Local Tab Intended to Replace Google Places
A brand new feature is arriving to Google+ that will revolutionize navigation features in social media. As a result, the gold Google Places feature will be phased out to make way for the new Google+ Local Tab.
The tab acts as a way to deliver recommendations to users based on their circles, the previews Google reviews the user has given and on their Zagat ratings. These recommendations could be restaurants, tourist locations, pubs, etc., anything that would fit the tastes of the user.
Since Google and Zagat merged their operations, the traditional five star rating system has gone by the wayside in the Google+ Local Tab. Instead, users will be able to give (and see) much more comprehensive 30 point reviews. For each location there will be several different categories, each of which can earn up to a 30 point score.
The layout of the new Google+ Local Tab should look somewhat familiar, as it is quite similar to that of Yelp. Users will be able to put in exactly what they’re looking for and the city in which they’re looking if they want to find a specific location, or they can enter general search terms and browse matching nearby locations. If users within your circles have already reviewed a restaurant that shows up in your search listings, their picture and their review will show up alongside the restaurant that they reviewed.
These Google+ Local pages will be seen across all Google properties, including web searches, maps and mobile. So, for example, if you do a search in Google Maps for a particular restaurant you will also have quick access to the location of that restaurant, that restaurant’s reviews and (if applicable) the reviews of that restaurant by people in your circles.
These new features should streamline your Google experience and give more reason for brands to focus on their Google+ accounts. While Google+ is still seen as the “little brother” to Facebook in the social media world, developments like these will help to continue to push the site as an increasingly popular alternative.
If you have any questions about Google+ and its new Local Tab feature, feel free to contact us at InterKnecht!