Google Places Don’t Need No Stinking Reviews

Mike Blumenthal dissects Google Places’ latest redesign:

According to Mike:

“They include a strong call to action (review, upload photos) and clear sense of priorities as to what is important going forward – even coupons now have a higher visibility – more user generated content, more understanding of your social circles intent and a greater desire, at least in the hotel industry, to use Places to “close” the sale.”

While reviews are still a big part of Places, my initial impression after checking out Mike’s screenshots is that Google thinks that reviews are a much lower priority than other elements such as coupons and social mentions.