Google's new review SERPs

Google promised the FTC that it would stop taking data from sites like Yelp and incorporating the very same data back into their search results.

A change to the SERPs was expected. I wonder how many people thought Google would just give up on the review space?

Searches that end in [review], especially brand and location searches, now have a modified Google results interface. For example; [Malmaison Edinburgh Review].


It's hard not to notice the big Google+ Local box that dominates the page on the right. After the ads on the left, in the first position, is the brand. Is a brand+review search a navigational search? Would Tripadvisor or Yelp generally list ahead of a hotel previously?

In the sitelink position under the brand result there are three links; to Google's current collection of reviews, a price & booking widget that contains more ads and link to write a review.


It's not unsurprising that Google are trying harder to collect their own reviews now because they're less likely to stop using other peoples now.

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