Google+ Finally Goes Local

Allison Howen
by Allison Howen 30 May, 2012

Google is finally putting last year's acquisition of Zagat to good use.

The search engine giant added a new local feature to its social network, Google+. The Local tab, which is located on the right-hand side of Google+, enables users to discover and share information about nearby places - including scores and reviews from Zagat, a restaurant guide company that Google acquired in September of 2011. 

The local feature also incorporates reviews from a user's friends, as well as displays business information such as address and business hours. Currently the system has more than 35,000 reviews, and users can also easily submit their own reviews with their Google+ name.

This new feature is just another reason why every business should create a presence on Google+. Even though the social network currently lacks an audience as large as Facebook or as devoted as those who use Pinterest, it is still a valuable tool to leverage because it can increase a business's visibility on the Web.