Google uses Frommer's and Zagat to solve its Yelp and TripAdvisor problem
Skift Take
With both Frommer's and Zagat in the fold, Google may be able to solve the problem that's plagued travel companies for the last decade: How to effectively bridge travel and local.
You can trace Google's acquisition of Frommer's, revealed today, with that little problem the search engine giant was having with TripAdvisor and Yelp a couple of years ago.
Google was desperately trying to fill in the content gaps in what then was called Google Places as it aggregated Yelp restaurant and TripAdvisor hotel reviews against their will.
TripAdvisor and Yelp officials even showed up at a Senate hearing in 2011 and alleged that Google threatened to ice them out of search results if they didn't give up their content.
This wasn't a winning long-term strategy for Google so it bought Zagat in September 2011 and integrated its restaurant rat
