Yelp vs Google Reviews: Which Are Better for Your Business?

What is your first choice when you want to see reviews about a place, product, service, or brand? Is it Google or Yelp? Both these platforms are widely used by brands to enhance their online presence.

Local businesses around the world try improving their Local SEO by having more positive reviews on these platforms.

But which one of these two review platforms is better? We are here to put an end to this long ongoing debate on – Yelp vs Google Reviews.

We will be discussing different aspects of both these review platforms so that you can make an informed decision next time.

But first, let us understand the importance of customer reviews for a brand.

Why Are Customer Reviews for Business?

Following are some of the major reasons why it is crucial for businesses to analyze customer reviews:

1. Influence Purchase Decisions:

Over 99.9% of customers check online reviews before shopping online. Many online shoppers rely on reviews while buying a product.

2. Increase Online Visibility:

Customer reviews and ratings also have an impact on ranking algorithms. 3 out of 8 factors that affect Google’s algorithm are Review Signals, review quantity, review diversity, and review velocity.

3. Identifying Weaknesses:

A constructive feedback from a customer can be valuable for product improvement if analyzed well. It can affect decision-making for marketing, product development, customer service, etc.

4. Encourage Engagement:

Responding to reviews encourages customer engagement. This helps enhance a brand’s image in the market as their commitment towards customer satisfaction

5. Understand Customer Preference:

Analyzing customer reviews can help a brand understand the demand of the market. It helps businesses to understand customer preferences and work accordingly towards product improvement.

6. Reputation Management:

60% of customers feel that the number of reviews is important for them to make a decision whether to choose the brand or not. This makes it clear how encouraging more customers to leave reviews impacts the brand reputation.

The Differences: Yelp and Google Reviews

Following are some of the key differences between Google reviews and Yelp that one must know while choosing which one is better for their business.

GOOGLE REVIEWS	YELP REVIEWS
Brands have more control over their Google Business Profile. It allows brands to update and manage information displayed on their profile.	Business Ownership on Yelp is limited. Businesses cannot manage much on their Yelp profile.
Reviews posted on Google Reviews are owned by the reviewers themselves. All they have to do is adhere to some community guidelines.	Reviews posted on Yelp are considered the property of Yelp.
Google reviews filter content in a review but the rules for filtering may vary.	Yelp has strict guidelines for someone leaving a review.
Integrated with Google Maps for directions and navigation.	Limited Mapping features.
Google Reviews do not have these many social networking features.	Yelp has more social networking features such as private messaging and connection requests.
Google Reviews focuses only on reviews and lacks community forums.	Apart from review, Yelo also has community forums and discussion.

What are Google Reviews?

Google Reviews is a feature introduced by Google that lets a user share the experience they had after using a product or service.

Google Reviews are considered as a valuable source of feedback that helps other customers to make informed decisions. Businesses benefit from Google reviews as they can enhance their online visibility and reputation in the market.

Google Reviews also have a substantial impact on the credibility of a business as customers are more likely to trust a company with more customer reviews. Reviews also give a lot of information about the work the company does.

Are Google reviews good for business?

1. Improved Ranking:

Positive reviews and ratings on Google can significantly impact your ranking in search results. More reviews also contribute to local search listings that can make a brand more visible. Better reviews and rating also helps in Local SEO as it helps displaying a brand on the local pack.

2. Accessibility:

With over 3 billion searches every day, Google is almost every person’s go-to engine when they want to search for something. With Google Reviews present at the top of the search results, users can find it conveniently.

3. Management and Analysis:

Google allows a business to analyze customer reviews and manage them as well. Google has provided a lot of resources on how to manage reviews making it easy to understand and manage.

4. Reliable Information:

Google has strict policies against fake reviews or paid reviews, making it more reliable than other review platforms.

There are small algorithms created by Google to identify fake reviews and brands hiding negative reviews. Practices like these have helped Google Reviews build trust among its users.

5. Encourages Reviewing:

Google allows brands to send direct links to their customers requesting them to add a review. This helps the brand get more reviews and increases the chance of getting a positive one.

Google Reviews: Pros and Cons

Pros of Google Reviews

1. Visibility: It cannot be overstated how popular Google is. Millions of brands have created their Business Profiles on Google to make themselves visible and Why not?
   
   Being Visible with positive reviews on the world’s largest search engine has its own perks. More reviews on Google increase the ranking of the brand making it more visible among search engine users.
   
2. Marketing Integrations: Google makes it easier for brands to share their reviews on different marketing fronts like social media, emails, landing pages, etc.
   
   Google provides free assets to business profiles to help them in digital marketing by showing their ratings. A brand can also embed Google reviews on its website to showcase how well they have served its customers.
   
3. Review Request Tools: Brands can use different ways to request their customer to leave a review. It even has a free Google Review website widget including a review link that a brand can add to their homepage, email, or social media.
   
   Google also allows you to create a shorter URL that you can personally send to your customers to ask them for reviews.
   
4. Keywords: Google provides a keyword tagging feature to the readers to help them filter through all the reviews people have posted. These keywords are based on the most common phrases and words used in all the reviews posted.  

Cons of Google Reviews

1. Limited Support: There are next to no options a brand has if there are more fake reviews on their profile. Google allows brands to report a review if they find it fake but they do not give you a chance to explain why you think so. They will just analyze as per their guidelines and provide the result accordingly.
   
2. Fraud Reviews: Google is continuously updating its algorithm to detect fraud reviews but reviews still find loopholes to bypass these algorithms. Even after so many attempts, Google failed to completely stop fraud reviews.

What are Yelp Reviews?

Yelp is a crowd-sourced local business reviewing website. The site is mainly focused on reviewing individual locations like restaurants, schools, tourist sites, etc. Yelp users can submit reviews as per their experience with 5-star ratings.

Yelp has been among the leading review and rating sites for over a decade now and continues to do so. It has been particularly beneficial for local businesses if most of the reviews are provided for them only. 

Just like Google reviews, A business can use a Yelp Review Widget to showcase its presence on Yelp.

Are Yelp reviews good for business?

Following are some of the major reasons that Yelp reviews are important.

• Yelp acts as a city guide for someone who is visiting the place for the first time. It is one of the first options that comes to people’s minds when they search for local restaurants, hotels, bars, etc.
  
• Yelp is also important for people wanting to share their experience at local businesses such as a restaurant. Since Yelp Reviews are taken seriously by businesses, these reviews help resolve the issues faced by customers. Brands can embed Yelp reviews on their website to show the ratings they have there.
  
• There are more chances of your business getting found on Yelp rather than on your own website. This is mainly because of the enormous popularity this site has, making it important for any company to register themselves on Yelp.
  
• Yelp allows users to add images that help them to share their experience better. Images also help other users to get a better idea of the place, helping them to make more informed decisions.
  
• Yelp can also be an important platform for brands to create a better online reputation. With attractive images of the place and displaying top offers available, brands can promote their business better on Yelp.

Yelp Reviews: Pros and Cons

Pros of Yelp Reviews

1. Exposure: Yelp has an extensive range of users making good reviews about a brand highly beneficial for the same. Thousands of people use Yelp to make everyday outing decisions. Hence, getting featured over there can be good for a brand’s exposure.
   
2. Credibility Establishment: Reviews on Yelp help build credibility to a brand even if a brand is already reviewed on other websites.  A lot of people make sure to check Yelp before making a decision. Getting a business featured on Yelp can build trust and credibility in the minds of potential customers.
   
3. Free of Cost: Although there is a cost to customize and optimize a Yelp profile, setting it up is completely free. This can be very beneficial for smaller businesses as it is free advertising for them if they have good services/ products.
   
4. Ease of Use: Yelp is relatively very easy to use. Customers do not have to enter any username to check business reviews and hence find it more convenient to visit the website. Visitors do not have to go through a long process of signing up making them choose Yelp as a go-to site for reviews.
   
5. Trustworthy Reviews:  Yelp also filters reviews as recommended which are verified reviews and unrecommended that are potentially fake. This makes it easier for a user to identify which reviews to trust. Having more recommended reviews against a brand represents genuinely good service and can enhance business reputations.

Cons of Yelp Reviews

1. Long-Term Commitment for Paid Presence: Yelp wants the businesses associated with it to be in a 1-year contract. This is not a rigid policy, but an expectation. However, if you want your paid presence removed before 12 months, the process is very inconvenient and long.
   
2. Listing Without Active Presence: Yelp allows customers to publish reviews about a business even if the business does not have an active presence over there. Customers might leave negative reviews for a business on Yelp without the brand realizing it. This negatively impacts the online image of the business as well.
   
3. Costly Enhanced Listing: Yelp charges an estimated price of around $350 for its enhanced listing. An enhanced profile includes slideshows, CTA buttons, videos, etc. that can be beneficial for a business. However, due to such high prices, it is not possible for small businesses to invest in enhanced listings making Yelp slightly less usable for them.

Difference Between Yelp vs Google Reviews – Which Review Platform is Better for Which Industry

The superiority of Yelp or Google Reviews within specific industries can vary based on the nature of the business and the expectations of its target audience. Here’s a breakdown based on industry types:

Restaurants and Food Services:

• Yelp: Typically preferred due to its community-driven reviews and focus on detailed experiences. Users often rely on Yelp for restaurant recommendations and in-depth reviews about food quality, service, and ambience.
• Google Reviews: Equally important, especially for local SEO and discoverability. Many users search for nearby restaurants or food services on Google, and positive reviews here can significantly impact a business’s visibility.

Local Services (Plumbers, Electricians, etc.):

• Yelp: Often favored due to its community-centric nature, offering insights and opinions on local services, allowing users to make informed decisions.
• Google Reviews: Vital for local service providers as it significantly impacts local search visibility. Many users trust and rely on Google for quick access to service provider information.

Retail and E-commerce:

• Google Reviews: Crucial, given the wider reach and integration with Google search. Google’s reviews can influence a buyer’s decision while searching for products or services online.
• Yelp: Though less common in this industry, Yelp might still be relevant for local retail shops or boutique stores. However, its influence might not be as significant as Google in this sector.

Hospitality (Hotels, Accommodation):

• Both Yelp and Google Reviews: Both platforms play vital roles in this industry. Yelp for detailed experiences and community insights, and Google for broader visibility, SEO, and integration with Google Maps.

Professional Services (Lawyers, Accountants):

• Google Reviews: Integral for establishing credibility and trust. Google reviews often impact the initial decision-making process for users seeking professional services.
• Yelp: While it might have some relevance, it might not be as critical as Google in this sector.

Yelp vs Google Reviews – The Difference in Statics Every Marketer Must Know

Conclusion

With detailed information we’ve provided about Yelp vs Google Reviews, you can now make an informed decision while choosing between the two. Both these reviewing platforms have their own benefits and losses and one must consider them before creating a business profile on both. 

It can always be beneficial to create a profile on both to enjoy more benefits. Leveraging both these platforms brings you best of both worlds and maximize possibilities of converting a potential customer. 

So start working on providing good quality services/ products to your customers and encourage them to review more.