YELP! Google buys Zagat, becomes premium local brand
Marisa Mayer just made the announcement:
So, today, I’m thrilled that Google has acquired Zagat. Moving forward, Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering—delighting people with their impressive array of reviews, ratings and insights, while enabling people everywhere to find extraordinary (and ordinary) experiences around the corner and around the world.
That is an interesting play which I’m pretty sure no one was expecting. It gives Google a huge foothold in local and will certainly put Yelp, Open Table and company on the defensive and will also fit in nicely with its Offers service. Zagat’s statement below the fold:
