Demonstrating that it’s serious about local, Google has just announced that it has acquired the restaurant review service 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,” said Marissa Mayer, VP of Local, Maps and Location Services in Google’s blog post.

This partnership means that the two companies will combine content, resources, and platforms, to offer new ways for consumers to share opinions and make informed decisions based on community recommendations.

Zagat, best known for its local guidebooks, has offered reviews and recommendations on restaurants around the world for more than 30 years. The company was founded in 1979 and operates in 13 categories and more than 100 cities.

Google will also benefit from Zagat’s online community, which will add a social networking element to the acquisition. Beyond restaurants, Zagat offers ratings and reviews of entertainment venues and travel as well.

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. It will be interesting to watch as details unfold, specifically regarding how Google plans to integrate Zagat’s reviews with Places. Depending on how the two companies go about integrating, it could be very beneficial as your customers will have more opportunities to create awareness about your business online. And if Google continues to publish the books it would create an additional offline presence for your business.

[Via: Official Google Blog]