Google and Yelp are two of the most popular review sites.
Google accounts for nearly three quarters (73%) of all online reviews as of 2024, with Yelp meanwhile receiving close to 180 million monthly visitors.
As a business owner, you need to take advantage of both platforms’ enormous visibility by responding to all of your Yelp and Google reviews. But how do they stack up against each other, and what are some pros and cons to be aware of?
In this article, we’ll compare some key aspects of Yelp vs Google reviews for businesses, including:
We’ll also answer some FAQs about Yelp vs Google reviews.
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Here's what you need to know about the reviews displayed on Google Maps.
Some review platforms are industry-specific and target a certain market, like Zocdoc for dental and medical patients or Zillow for renters and home-buyers. Others — like Google Maps — feature all types of business reviews, which means they also attract all types of users.
No matter who makes up your customer base, you need to prioritize Google reviews to make the most impact.
Brightlocal data shows that exactly half of the consumers surveyed felt "confident" that they saw fake reviews on Google in 2022. That percentage was identical in 2021.
Despite this, Google still reigns supreme regarding trust and perceived authenticity. For example, 66% of consumers say they would be "most likely to trust" Google for healthcare-related reviews, compared to just 12% for the Better Business Bureau (BBB), 9% for Yelp, 6% for Facebook, and 3% for Apple Maps. Similar trends occur with other types of businesses and industries, such as:
If you experience an issue with your business listing, you’ll need to troubleshoot it using one of Google’s help articles. Here are the resources that Google provides for business owners and general users:
Once you create a Google Business Profile, it’s easy to edit your Google business listing, answer Q&As, and respond to positive or negative Google reviews. Here are three Google business site steps to get started:
Here is a guide to answering positive Google reviews.
Here is a complete guide to the best Google review responses.
Now that we've gone over how Google reviews work, let's look at Yelp's platform.
This article covers how to respond to Yelp reviews in detail.
Like Google, Yelp is a general review platform for various types of businesses, attracting a wide range of users. Some examples of businesses on Yelp include hotels, restaurants, financial services, medical services, and pet care services.
Refer to Yelp’s complete business category list to ensure that your small business is listed appropriately and is as easy as possible for Yelp users to find.
Compared to Google, fewer Yelp reviews are perceived as being fake. According to a survey by BrightLocal, only 25% of consumers felt "confident" about seeing fake reviews on Yelp during the past year, compared to the 50% — twice as many — who said the same about Google.
Still, consumers trust Yelp less than Google. For example, only 29% of consumers said they would be most likely to trust Yelp for food and drink reviews, compared to the 44% who said they would trust Google the most.
Like Google, Yelp tries to maintain authenticity and has a strict policy against practices like:
So, are Yelp reviews reliable? Most consumers find them helpful, but ultimately, trust in the review comes down to transparency and the pattern of overall customer experiences.
If you experience an issue or have a question regarding your Yelp account, you can reach Yelp’s customer support representatives by calling (877) 767-9357, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. PST. You can also refer to Yelp’s online help articles or start a chat session with an online representative.
Learn more about the ways you can contact Yelp customer support.
It's easy for your business to respond to Yelp reviews, both positive or negative.
Start by creating a Yelp account for free. Once you have an account, you can create and manage a business page. You can also respond to customers directly from the platform on desktop or mobile, or by using our done-for-you review reply service.
Here are a few parting thoughts about Yelp vs. Google reviews to bear in mind while developing a review management strategy for your business:
If you want examples of how to respond to reviews for specific businesses, read these articles:
Yelp and Google reviews each offer unique benefits and challenges. To build trust, enhance visibility, and attract more customers, you should actively manage your presence across both platforms.
Considering the enormous impact that Yelp or Google review platform has on consumers, it's crucial to create and maintain an active business account on both. Whether your reviews are predominantly positive or negative, your business can boost its online reputation, retain more of its existing customers, and attract more potential customers by responding promptly to all reviews on both platforms.
That's why we've built ResponseScribe, a done-for-you AI review response service that delivers personalized replies to your reviewers on over 50 platforms within minutes to hours. ResponseScribe has the best of both worlds: the speed and accuracy of cutting-edge AI tools, and a human touch to oversee the replies.
Through review monitoring, removal, response, and generation services, we empower your business to get more reviews, rank higher in local search results, improve customer satisfaction, and turn potential customers into loyal superfans.
Get started with a demo today — and discover why more than 10,000 businesses trust our team with their online reviews!
Done-for-you review response service for local businesses.
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