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Google Inc. announced Thursday that it has acquired Zagat Survey LLC, the restaurant review and ratings service that is a go-to source for foodies everywhere.

To win in the fast-growing digital-advertising market, Web companies such as Facebook, Google and Groupon are increasingly wooing mom-and-pop businesses.

Instead of seeking another round of financing, Yelp is considering an IPO. After announcing in 2010 that Yelp would not likely go public for several years, CEO Jeremy Stoppelman told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that the company had put an IPO back on the table.

Search giant's reported plans to acquire the local-listings service may face difficulties, with regulators attuned to its established dominance of the Internet-search and advertising markets, observers say.