Organizing the world's users.

Google acquires Zagat, a service hosting user reviews of local businesses.

Having free content is essential to Google's search-related advertisement model. As people switch to social networks and apps on mobile devices, more and more content is streamed to them directly from the service providers. As a result, the share of free quality searchable information continues to decline. Since Apple controls in-app ads on iPhone, Google needs content; the more, the better. They already have Youtube and Maps, which they  favor heavily in their searches. There's no doubt in my mind that Google's acquisition of Zagat is another attempt to stay relevant in social/mobile networking. Therefore, the answer to CNet's question, "whether the company will give the information it owns preferential treatment over information owned by others," is Yes.

In the world of mobile social networking, organizing information means organizing users as well. And you can organize them and their information only if you have access to it.

tags: social, network, information, advertisement, model, business, google