Google is currently testing two new updates to the customer reviews feature for search. The first update would allow users who are unfamiliar to the Google ecosystem, the ability to leave reviews on local businesses without having a Google+ account. Prior to the update, if a user tried to leave a review on a local business page without being signed into a Google+ or Gmail account, the user would then be asked to set up an account before leaving a review.
This update to Google reviews now means that users who do not already have a Google+ account are not required to set up a new user account before leaving a review. The reasoning for this new update is to allow users an easier experience when posting a review for a local business. This update may also give local businesses an increase in customer reviews.
The second new update to Google’s interface involves the local 3-Pack search results. Google is testing an additional line of text on some local 3-Pack search results which includes a single quote from one of the reviews left on the Google Local Business page. What the single quote will be replacing is the time of operations for the local business.
The reviews that show up in the local 3-Pack seem to be randomized and are chosen in no particular order. So the volume of customer reviews that a business has does not matter when a review is chosen for display on the local 3-Pack.