Google to add Frommer’s travel brand to local review offerings

Google is acquiring Frommer’s travel brand from John Wiley & Sons Inc. for an undisclosed price in a deal that could help the search giant compete against online review stalwarts like Yelp, CitySearch and TripAdvisor.

The deal is expected to close shortly, the Wall Street Journal reported, and Google has yet to decide whether it will move Frommer’s print offerings to online. The travel brand could eventually be combined with Zagat, which Google also owns.

“The Frommer’s team and the quality and scope of their content will be a great addition to the Zagat team. We can’t wait to start working with them on our goal to provide a review for every relevant place in the world,” Google said in a statement.

The acquisition comes after the purchase of Zagat in September of last year, and is expected to help Google improve its local and world-wide review offerings.

Google has remained tight-lipped about the purchase and has not yet made any executives available for comment.

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