{"id":8165,"date":"2010-11-22T10:00:02","date_gmt":"2010-11-22T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/?p=8165"},"modified":"2010-11-24T16:52:55","modified_gmt":"2010-11-24T20:52:55","slug":"google-places-are-ratings-the-new-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/2010\/11\/22\/google-places-are-ratings-the-new-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Places: Are Ratings the New Reviews?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If likes are the new links then ratings are the new reviews. At least as far as Google is concerned as they continue to integrate elements from Hotpot into Places.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I noted the other day that Google was integrating HotSpot friend recommendations<\/a> in personalized Map results. They are also now including<\/a> a new rating level with an eye-catching Best Ever<\/strong> ribbon\/icon from Hotpot on the Places Pages.<\/p>\n

This sort of additional ego boost might just incent business owners to train their customers how to use Google Hotspot<\/a>. If Google adds some ranking strength to the signal, business owners will be crashing down the gates to get the rating.<\/p>\n

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The new Google HotPot offers a more relaxed user feedback environment than Google Places, allowing for just a star rating and a quick sentiment (for hotels & restaurants) but also encouraging, although not requiring, a brief review.<\/p>\n

Google Places has recently added the ability to add this simpler, quick Hotpot like star rating to businesses that show in the Related Places<\/a> area of the Place page (When did they change the name from Nearby Places You Might Like?). The option is only available on Places that have previously received Google reviews.<\/p>\n


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\nA rating doesn’t require the commitment that a review does and removes some of the barriers to Google gathering more of this sort of information from a broader range of searchers about a broader range of business. It is not clear that ratings will play a role in rankings but they already are playing a role in recommendations. And that is the likely future of search.<\/p>\n

Update: As an addendum to this post, it is of interest that Ratings from Hotpot that do not include any review content are now also showing up<\/a> in the “Reviews by Google” users section:
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Update<\/strong>: The Lat Long Article How ratings and reviews work on Google Places<\/a> points to a Google Hotpot Help file that notes you can rate a business in the following places:<\/p>\n

To rate a business on desktop, simply hover over rating stars anywhere you see them. Here are places you\u2019ll see the rating stars, on your computer.<\/p>\n