Yelp vs. Google Review: Where Should Your Business Effort Be Spent?
Yelp vs. Google Review
In today’s digital environment competition is fierce; This is also true for small and local businesses. Business owners today are much more concerned with local advertising and word of mouth.
It’s just as important to look at and prioritize online reviews
In fact, 9 out of 10 customers read online reviews before deciding to shop. These negative and positive reviews can have a significant impact on the bottom line of a small business owner.
The two platforms that help businesses create online reviews and improve their reputation are Google My Business and Yelp.
In this article, we will break down the different features of these review platforms and what you can do to make the best of both of them!
Yelp in Review
What is Yelp? How powerful is it?
Consider Yelp of review sites “Facebook”. Yelp is considered one of the most popular review sites for service-oriented businesses, such as plumbers, electricians, and contractors. (This Yelp report shows that local home service businesses are tied to the most reviewed sections on the platform!)
Yelp has a hyper-focus on local businesses, allowing nearby customers to find and sponsor businesses.
Users in its community, known as “Yelpers”, can post good reviews, photos, ratings, and help other potential customers find the right business for their needs.
How does Yelp work?
Yelp is fairly straightforward to navigate and use. As a business, you can set up a profile on Yelp for free and start engaging with new and existing customers.
You can display your business information on the platform, including details of your services, working hours, contact information, and where you are on the map! Customers who are interested in or already involved in your business can contact you directly for questions, rates, and business reviews of your services.
If you haven’t already, be sure to claim your business listing on Yelp!
Advertising potential and cost
At Yelp, you have the opportunity to increase your online reputation and awareness by purchasing Yelp ads. By choosing an advertising package with a review company, you can show your business more clearly on the site.
Yelp ads start anywhere from $ 150 / month and can fetch up to $ 1,200 / month depending on your business needs. When your business spends between $ 200 and 1,200 a month, Yelp reports 3 times the potential to reach more customers.
In order to optimize a Yelp ad campaign and really set goals for your audience, some users report spending a high budget.
Yelp Advantages and Disadvantages
Thinking of getting those five-star reviews on Yelp? Here are the advantages and disadvantages:
Pro: Yelp is the # 1 platform that customers use to view reviews
Today, reviews are virtually synonymous with Yelp. Yelp is a platform for customers looking for reviews, boasting over 224 million reviews on the platform!
Pro: Customers can order services directly on the platform
Customers can interact directly with your business through the Yelp platform, driving even greater sales engagement. Customers can schedule appointments directly on the platform or even view your business certification and license.
Yelp local business.
Con: The presence of payments on Yelp is a long-term promise
In order to optimize your Yelp ads, you need to be willing to spend more time and money promoting your ads.
Con: Businesses can collect negative reviews without ever claiming Yelp
The review algorithm tends to be unexpected and can display fake and negative reviews at the top of your business page. Even if your business page is not claimed, it can still get negative reviews from Yelp users, making it even more challenging to manage your overall reputation.
Want to know more about getting reviews?
Google is my business.
As the world’s most powerful search engine, it is not surprising that Google dominates not only the functionality of its Google search and optimization features but also its review platform for businesses.
Google is one of the top review sites for all types of businesses, attracting monthly traffic of about 160 million users per month.
If you want to make the most of your digital marketing, creating a Google My Business profile is essential.
How does Google Review work?
Once you’ve created your Google My Business profile, create your business listing. This process involves linking your business to Google Maps to make your services more accessible to potential customers in your community.
With both Google Search and Google Maps results, both existing and new customers can view reviews of your business, read customer feedback, and even view related images and comments.
If you want to respond and interact directly with these reviews, you need to claim your listing and verify your business on the GMB platform.
Advertising potential and cost
With Google, you get a lot more variety and choice for your ads You can choose from many ad formats including text and video ads, responsive ads, app promotions and much more! Yelp has less diversity in comparison, but maybe more effective in terms of user intent and targeting.
This comparison is driven by Yelp users who already represent a specific population that may be more relevant to local businesses. Google, on the other hand, is a universal and global platform.
Google ads, however, are more affordable. Its advertising campaigns are designed to give your business smart pricing and minimum cost per click. If a click/ad is less likely to convert you into a customer, then the cost is lower.
The average CPC you can pay for search is 2.69 and for display ads is $ 0.63.
Remove and manage reviews
Like Yelp, businesses have the option to request the removal of Google reviews if they deem it fake, offensive, or malicious. You can flag the review with your GMB account and request removal.
Remove and manage reviews
It’s important that you flag only reviews that violate Google’s policy and only those that you do not agree with (for example, with negative but authentic feedback).
The Advantages and disadvantages of Google Review
Before you start Google Review, here are the advantages and disadvantages!
Pro: Convenient for local SEO / Google Map integration
With a search engine and a review platform, you can add even more value to your GMB profile. Two birds with one stone!
Pros: Google exposure and high traffic
Google targets a global customer base and has a high volume of traffic due to its specialty as the top search engine. This can give your business relatively more exposure.
Con: Users don’t have to comment with their star rating
Users are not required to provide text-based comments or feedback on their reviews. It can be misleading reviews or ratings without any context, changing customer perceptions more easily.
Con: Tough / Challenging User Interface Report (difficult to edit business profile)
Navigating through reviews is not easy for both the customer and the business. Finding your business listing on Google can be more difficult for customers than Yelp. This is especially true if you have more than one business location.
Our final verdict
Both leverage.
The Google vs. Yelp review debate continues. Our opinion?
As a local business, you should not keep all your eggs in one basket (or in this case, a review platform). Your local customers may want to connect with you across multiple platforms. Having access to them across these can drive customer engagement and maximize your chances of landing a new customer.
It’s time to embrace review sites and claim your listings, increase your 5-star reviews and connect with your customers!
If this sounds challenging to you, don’t worry. We’ve got you back.
Work with SmmServiceUSA and take advantage of our trusted review management services. We’re here to take your business reputation to the next level. By working with us, you can better track your reviews, respond to them in a timely manner, and leverage your online presence by leaps and bounds.