The official Google blog announces today the acquisition of the famous Zagat restaurant and entertainment guide. Google plans on integrating the Zagat reviews and ratings with their Google Maps and other search results, as well as eventually adding the content to the Google Places service. Zagat has provided comprehensive guides for 100 major cities since 1979 and remains one of the better respected sources, despite many Internet-era contenders popping up in recent years (Yelp, TripAdvisor, UrbanSpoon, Dine.com, etc.).
For Google, this merger makes sense if it winds up giving a boost to their Places service, which is currently eclipsed by the growing number of competing search and rating websites. While anyone can build a service compiling user-submitted ratings, few approach the process in as professional and organized a manner as Zagat.
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