You're searching for the perfect restaurant, club, or bar in your local area. You might look it up in the Yellow Pages
but you're more likely to just Google it. Local business reviews in Google search results are generally accompanied by what is known as the Zagat score: Calculated from a maximum of 30, the Zagat Score originates from a scoring system devised by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979. The full score is an aggregate of scores on several smaller areasincluding food, décor, service and costassessed on a non-standard scale of 0-3. Google bought Zagat.com in 2011, and began implementing the scores across Google Maps and Google+ Local as of May 2012. Commenting on Google+ on October 10th, Google's Megan Stevenson revealed a new system for rating was being introduced. Reviewers now have the option of selecting a scale more akin to the Likert scale. Reviewers are now able to rate services on a scale that includes 'Poor to fair', 'Good', 'Very Good', and 'Excellent'. Existing Zagat Scores have been converted to fit this new scoring systemrelevant numbers have been attributed to corresponding sentiment. These sentiment scores are shown for individual reviews, but overall Zagat scores are still visible on search results and in Google Maps. Zagat scores generally only apply to restaurants, shopping, and similar establishments, so you will not find a Zagat for internet marketing agencies, or other similar services. For many, myself included, this is a step in the right direction. Choosing sentiment, rather than a numerical judgement, is much more accessible for users than an unfamiliar 3-point system. We're so used to the idea of a 5-star point system, or even a 10-point system, that to rate on a scale of 3 seems alien. By asking reviewers to rate on non-numerical sentiment, we can hopefully improve the accuracy of review scores. I still, however, have issues with the categories available to select from. For me, there's a massive distinction between poor and fair. According to http://www.dictionary.com/, 'fair' is "neither excellent nor poor; moderately or tolerably good." 'Poor', on the other hand, is described as "deficient or lacking in something specified." In its very definition, fair is not poor. For some, fair may represent a standard experience, but for others a substandard experienceso there may be a difference between reviewers with the same sentiment selecting different options according to their perception of the system. It still needs adjusting to attempt to remove as much subjectivity of terminology as possible so as not to skew scores. What are your thoughts on the new scale? Better than Zagat, or does it need more work? Digital Clicks are an online company providing SEO services to clients across the UK.Post navigation
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