Google Maps Adds 'Sort By User Rating'

[CHR]

User reviews are hot and will just keep getting hotter. Today, Google added a feature in the Text View version of maps which allows surfers to sort listings by review ratings.

Read Mike Blumenthal's blog for the full story.

If you haven't actively been soliciting user reviews, now would be a good time to make it a priority.

Note: Google does not yet seem to be 'counting' the ratings or reviews left by their own users. Right now, for florists, they're pulling reviews from CitySearch, InsiderPages and a few other sites. I do expect that to change, but it's a consideration when pointing your reviewers to a specific site to leave reviews.

Also: According to Hitwise, Yahoo Local is losing market share to Google Local/Maps. IMO it's for good reason - Yahoo has outsourced much of the content to YellowPages.com - who is in turn selling BS local listings to buyers that have no business being there (OGs, etc...).

Would be great to know if they're losing users based on lack of trust and relevancy.

 

[master J]

thats good news, thanks again Cathy!

Do you know if google also includes insider pages reviews or do the reviews have to be made on google only?

 

[bloomz]

I don't see it from here.

 

[Eric S]

I really have wonder if yahoo local is realing using out to google.

Just curious if anyone else is seeing "real close" traffic comming from both on their access logs. Its been a trend that I have been noticing for a couple of months but hey what do I know.

I have been really stuggling to ge customers to leave comments on our google listing. Yahoo no problem but perhaps its becuse more people are finding our site through yahoo more then through google for perhaps becuase they are signed in their yahoo accounts more users can leave reviews versus google. I do also notice email accounts from customers again heavy from yahoo and light from gmail.