Streets Ahead: Google Reviews and Local Business Information

In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google wanting to help businesses to get more reviews and the new Local Pack feature providing insight into where Google is sourcing local business information.

Google Helping Businesses Get More Reviews

The News  With all the recent buzz about Google cracking down on fraudulent (and some legitimate) reviews, you might think the platform discourages businesses from actively requesting customer feedback. However, a new update to Google Business Profiles suggests otherwise.

This week, Google introduced a QR code within the “Get more reviews” feature in Business Manager, making it even easier for businesses to direct customers to leave reviews.

When scanned, the QR code takes customers straight to the review submission form, streamlining the process. Google encourages businesses to share these links or QR codes in thank-you emails, at the end of chat interactions, and on receipts to remind customers to leave reviews.

A word of caution: Offering incentives for reviews or selectively soliciting positive feedback violates Google’s review policies. Doing so could lead to profile suspensions, review removal, or even public warnings on your profile.

Why This Matters  When asked, “What’s the #1 thing a business can do to improve Local SEO?” the answer is always the same: get more reviews.

Reviews don’t just boost your local search relevance—they give Google valuable context about your business and fuel features that drive customer engagement, like review snippets and the new Ask Maps feature.

Of course, getting more reviews is easier said than done. While you can’t force customers to leave reviews, you can make the process effortless—and Google is making that even simpler.

You can find your QR code to share with customers by going to Read Reviews > Get more reviews in your Google Business Profile Manager.

New Local Pack Update Reveals Google’s Local Data Sources

The News  The latest iteration of this feature, spotted this past week, is appearing only in local pack results on desktop for businesses where customer experience is important, like restaurants, gyms and trampoline parks. While this update by itself isn’t major news, what Google has chosen to include in this latest version of the feature certainly is; and it provides new insight into where Google is sourcing information about your business.

Along with the expected customer reviews, photos and videos that have been included in this feature from the start, we were surprised to find that Google has not only added relevant links to Reddit, Quora and other message boards big and small, but to Q&A content on Yelp and Tripadvisor.

For the past year, we’ve been tracking a feature Google has been testing on select Business Profiles called “About this place.” This feature highlights popular services, amenities, or dishes using customer photos, videos, and reviews.

First spotted last March in mobile search results, “About this place” seems designed to offer an experiential snapshot of a business—giving potential customers a preview of what to expect, based on real customer feedback rather than business-provided content.

The latest version of this feature, spotted last week, is now appearing exclusively in local pack results on desktop for experience-driven businesses like restaurants, gyms, and trampoline parks. While the update itself may seem minor, what’s included in this version is significant—it sheds new light on where Google is sourcing business information.

In addition to customer-generated content like reviews, photos, and videos, we were surprised to find that Google has started pulling in relevant discussions from Reddit, Quora, and other forums, as well as Q&A content from Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Why This Matters  It’s long been assumed that Google references other search engines and listing providers like Yelp and TripAdvisor to verify a business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) along with other basic details. However, this latest update suggests that Google is indexing far more than just foundational business information.

While Google’s Q&A feature appears to be fading, this shift underscores the importance of monitoring and responding to customer questions across other local search platforms. Business owners should actively engage on sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and industry-specific directories to ensure accurate business information and maintain customer trust.

The inclusion of forum content is less surprising—Google has been favoring user-generated discussions in organic search results over the past year. But this is the first time we’ve seen direct forum links appear on Business Profiles. This means businesses looking to enhance their local search relevance should consider not just traditional listings, but also participation in local and industry forums where their customers are actively discussing their services.