Well, that is in Google’s mind. So you have a hotel, restaurant, or run a local attraction? Then you need to read this very informative and in-depth report from Search Engine Guide. I don’t mind sending people off our blog to check this out, since Miriam did such a great job researching over 1,000 reviews listed in Google Maps for hospitality industry businesses. She lists all 34 sources that accept public reviews, but what’s the bottom line you ask? Where should you focus? She says: Tripadvisor.com, Yelp, Insiderpages, and Citysearch. These sites dominate the reviews listed in the newly expanded local OneBox.
I agree with her recommendation to guide users toward the more popular sites. Afterall, what customer is going to write reviews on multiple sites? Generally, we stick to the few we use over and over. And remember to monitor these results for any issues you need to respond to quickly by saying “thank you” or “we are sorry”.