Google My Business vs. Yelp
A lot of times I get questions from potential and current clients asking me what review format should they use for their business. To be honest from my experience Google My Business (GMB) is the best tool for any business if you want a solid marketing tool. Here are the point by point comparisons of why Google My Business is a better marketing tool vs. Yelp biz:
- Ease of use: This is a draw between GMB and Yelp; both have their problems in their features but I feel this will change in the near future when competition increases.
- Customer Service: Hands down, GMB is easier to get a hold of vs. Yelp. Google actually makes it easy to get a hold of them via. phone or email, Yelp is pretty impossible to get a hold of unless you pay for the service.
- Review Stick Rate: From my experience with using GMB, reviews stay on the business profile and Yelp has a crazy algorithm which determines what reviews stay or show. If you pay for Yelps service most of your reviews will stick.
- Asking for Reviews: Google encourages business owners to ask for reviews for their business vs. Yelp. Caution: You cannot ask for 5-star reviews but you can ask a customer or client to write a review of your business.
From 2013 to 2014, the number of reviews grew by 80 percent. The next year it grew by 114 percent, and from 2015 to 2016 this growth sped up to an incredible 278 percent.
Pedanco
- SEO: Both GMB and Yelp are good for your SEO (search engine optimisation).
- Bad or False Reviews: With GMB it is easier to take off poor reviews or false reviews but it is still a lot of work to remove them. With Yelp you can get most off if you pay for the Yelp Business service.
48% of consumers only pay attention to reviews written within the past two weeks.
Brightlocal