Why Google Matters More Than Yelp For Online Reviews

The ability to read and write online reviews has drastically changed how we choose which businesses to support. Gone are the days of showing up at a restaurant or store and not knowing what to expect.

Now, we can learn everything from store hours to information about cleanliness, and more, with a quick online search.

For businesses, it has become essential to encourage, read, and manage online reviews in order to keep track of your online reputation.

If you're looking to start improving your business' online reputation, you need to start by deciding where to focus your efforts. Keep reading to learn why Google matters more than Yelp when it comes to reviews.

One of the simplest reasons why Google matters more than Yelp when it comes to reviews is the sheer amount of traffic the search engine receives.

In 2017, Yelp had 77 million users run searches on a desktop, and another 29 million users ran searches on their mobile application.

By comparison, there are more than 3.5 billion searches on Google every day .

Yelp receives a large amount of traffic, almost all of which is searching for reviews. But if you're looking to make the most of your investment to encourage reviews, it's best to focus on reaching the largest amount of traffic.

It's tough to compete with the most popular search engine on the web.

Some might argue that a large number of Google users aren't looking for reviews, while all of the majority of traffic on Yelp is. But Google's superior layout and sneaky tactics for placing their reviews mean that more surfers are being exposed to reviews than you may realize.

When a variety of types of searches are run, Google provides reviews to web surfers, even when they aren't requested.

For instance, if you search for a local bakery or a particular piece of clothing, Google will give you the answers you're looking for front and center.

But they'll also provide suggestions for local businesses, like bakeries, restaurants, stores, or shopping malls, that might also carry what you're looking for.

Along with the name, location, and contact information for these local places, Google will also provide reviews and a ranking.

Yelp, on the other hand, provides only business names, contact information, menus, and reviews. They list stores, restaurants, entertainment centers, and several other types of businesses.

When a web surfer or mobile device owner enters the Yelp site or app, they are usually searching for a specific result. This could either be the exact business name, or a query like "best restaurants in New York" or "clothing stores near me."

If a web surfer isn't sure what they are looking for, they are unlikely to go to Yelp to find it as they might on Google. This reason alone is enough to prove why Google matters more than Yelp for reviews.

Yelp's algorithm that determines which reviews get listed and where is designed to cut down on fake reviews.

One part of the algorithm process is to look at where reviewers have posted other reviews and how new they are to using Yelp. It also looks at the businesses themselves, how old they are, and how many reviews they have.

While this may help cut down on spam reviews, its also inadvertently hurting small businesses.

That's because small businesses usually don't have large numbers of reviews, especially when they are new. The customers who shop at small businesses may not have the online review experience of customers of larger retailers.

The result is lots of reviews from customers who are new to Yelp and haven't reviewed many businesses, as well as small numbers of reviews for small businesses. This can get even real, positive reviews flagged, which means that they won't appear on Yelp.

If your small business doesn't have many reviews on Yelp, and you were to launch a campaign to encourage your customers to review you, resulting in a jump in reviews, you could get flagged by Yelp.

Google has its own algorithms in place to cut down on spam. But these often don't affect the reviews placed on the site. Google also lists its reviews by when they are posted. This prevents your businesses reviews from getting jumbled or hidden.

When a person decides to search for reviews on Yelp, they have two options. The first is the desktop site and the second is the app, available on tablets and other mobile devices.

But when a web surfer decides to use Google, they have countless ways of doing so.

They could go to the traditional website and run a search. On many mobile devices, a search bar is available that allows users to run a Google search without even opening an app.

Of course, apps are still available.

Web surfers could also go to their Google Maps app. This not only allows them to find directions to a business or look for businesses near where they are or where they're going, but it also gives them direct access to reviews, menus, pictures, and other info about that business, all in one place.

If you've ever encouraged a customer to review your business, you could be violating Yelp's policies.

That's because the review site prohibits businesses from soliciting reviews from customers.

While it's never a good idea to promise customers a freebie or other benefit for a good review, you should never be punished for simply asking for feedback.

Reviews, both good and bad, are useful for more than just promoting your business. They also give you a chance to see what your customers really think, so that you can make changes and adjustments to help boost customer satisfaction.

From increased traffic to no penalties on small businesses and the ability to solicit reviews, it's clear why Google matters more than Yelp for reviews.

If you're ready to start focusing your efforts on boosting reviews for your business and managing your online reputation better, we can help. Start your free trial today to see how we can help you manage your online reviews and reputation to lead to increased leads and sales!