Yelp has accused Google of putting its own Google+ local listings ahead of other content in search rank.
In an internal presentation, rival Yelp said that Google "appears to be intentionally serving up search results that contradict the users' intent," the Wall Street Journal reported. The report claims that Google ranks its local listings higher than Yelp's even when the word "Yelp" is part of the search query.
Searching "gary danko yelp," in reference to a popular San Francisco restaurant called Gary Danko, puts links to reviews published on the Google+ social network and to Google maps higher than a link to Yelp's page for the restaurant, according to the company presentation.
"It isn't clear how frequently such searches promote Google's content over Yelp's," WSJ reported. "Similar searches for other restaurants deliver links to Yelp first."
On Google's part, a spokesman for the search giant said, "We build Google Search for our users and our goal is to provide the right information at just the right time."
Earlier reported by TechCrunch, the Yelp presentation surfaces as Google faces problems in Europe from companies who complain that the tech giant is abusing its power as the top search engine.
Yelp has filed a formal complaint "in recent days," but it comes too late to be considered "at the same level" as 20 formal complaints already filed against Google with the European Commission, said European Union antitrust chief Joaquín Almunia.
Google is working to keep together a proposed settlement in Europe to resolve concerns from the various companies.
The protestations from Yelp and other companies as well as European lawmakers make the proposed settlement an "uncomfortable time for the commission," said John Phelan, a spokesman at the nonprofit BEUC, which represents 41 national consumer organizations across Europe. "We want a re-evaluated settlement and a stronger agreement."
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