Google reviews vs Yelp: which matters more for a small business?
For most small businesses, Google reviews matter more, because they appear in Google Search and Maps, where most local customers look.
2 min readLehvel Learn
Plain answers about Google, AI assistants and small-business websites
The questions small-business owners keep asking, each answered in its first paragraph.
Latest
Local business schema: what it is and how to add it
Local business schema is a small block of structured data, usually JSON-LD, that states your business name, address, phone, hours and service area so search engines can read them without guessing.
2 min readGoogle Business Profile categories and services: how to choose them
Your Google Business Profile categories decide much of which searches you appear in, and the primary category matters most.
2 min readLocal SEO for service-area businesses
Local SEO for a service area business, like a plumber or cleaner who goes to the customer, starts with hiding your address on Google and listing only the areas you really serve.
2 min readDoorway pages: when location pages become a problem
Doorway pages are pages made to rank for a search rather than to help the reader.
2 min readTopics
AI answers: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity
What AI assistants say about a business, where they get it, and how wrong answers get fixed.
- How to optimize your website for AI searchTo optimize your website for AI search, put your key facts in plain text on the page rather than in images or PDFs, give each main service its own page, answer common customer questions directly, keep details identical to your Google profile, and make sure robots.txt isn't blocking the crawlers AI search tools use.
- How to get ChatGPT to recommend your businessYou can't ask or pay ChatGPT to recommend your business.
- How to check what ChatGPT says about your businessTo check what ChatGPT says about your business, open a Temporary Chat or a logged-out browser and ask what a customer would: "best plumber in [town]", "is [your business] open Sundays".
- ChatGPT has wrong information about my business. How do I fix it?You can't edit what ChatGPT says, but wrong information about your business almost always comes from a source it read: an old directory listing, an outdated page on your site, your Google profile.
- Is SEO dead because of AI?No.
- What is llms.txt, and is it worth adding to your site?llms.txt is a plain-text file at the root of a website that summarizes the site and links its most useful pages, written for AI tools.
- Zero-click searches: why clicks drop when rankings don'tZero-click searches are ones where the searcher gets what they need on the results page and never clicks through.
Local search
Showing up when someone nearby searches for what you do.
- Local SEO for service-area businessesLocal SEO for a service area business, like a plumber or cleaner who goes to the customer, starts with hiding your address on Google and listing only the areas you really serve.
- Doorway pages: when location pages become a problemDoorway pages are pages made to rank for a search rather than to help the reader.
- Bing Places for Business: is it worth setting up?Bing Places for Business is Microsoft's version of a Google Business Profile.
- How to rank higher on Google MapsTo rank higher on Google Maps, work on the two of Google's three local factors you can influence.
- Local citations and NAP consistency, explainedLocal citations are mentions of your business's name, address and phone number (NAP) on other sites: Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Facebook, industry directories.
- How to choose an SEO company for a small businessTo choose an SEO company, ask what they'll do each month, what they'll report, who owns the website and listings if you leave, and how they'll measure calls and leads rather than rankings alone.
By trade
Search, reviews and AI answers for specific kinds of local business, from roofers to med spas.
- Roofing SEO: how roofers get found on Google and in AI answersRoofing SEO comes down to showing up when a homeowner nearby searches for roof repair or replacement, often right after a storm.
- SEO for dentists: what brings new patients from searchSEO for dentists is mostly about the searches new patients make: a dentist near them who takes their insurance, does the treatment they need, and has good reviews.
- Contractor SEO: getting remodeling and building jobs from searchContractor SEO works when your site and Google profile show the jobs you want more of, in the places you want to work.
- Electrician SEO: getting found for the jobs you wantElectrician SEO is about showing up for the specific jobs people search: panel upgrades, EV charger installs, generator hookups, and urgent "no power" calls.
- HVAC SEO: staying findable through the busy and slow seasonsHVAC SEO follows the weather.
- SEO for plumbers: showing up when the water won't stopSEO for plumbers covers two kinds of customer: the urgent one searching "plumber near me" with water on the floor, and the planned one pricing a water heater or repiping.
- Restaurant SEO: menus, hours and the questions people ask AIRestaurant SEO is mostly about being right: the menu, hours, location and whether you take reservations.
- Med spa marketing: search, reviews and AI, within the rulesMed spa marketing works when clients can find each treatment you offer, see who performs it, and trust what they read.
- Landscaping SEO: design, maintenance and seasonal workLandscaping SEO starts with separating what you do, because people search for each differently: landscape design, hardscaping and patios, lawn care, and seasonal jobs like spring cleanups or snow removal.
- Painting contractor marketing: getting the jobs you wantPainting contractor marketing works best when you show the exact kind of job you want more of.
- Chiropractor marketing: search, reviews and new patientsChiropractor marketing works when new patients can find the care they're looking for and trust what they read.
- Cleaning business marketing: trust, booking and recurring clientsCleaning business marketing comes down to trust and ease.
- Salon marketing: booking, stylists and a portfolio people can findSalon marketing works when a client can find the service, see who does it well, and book in a few taps.
- SEO for moving companies: winning trust before the quoteSEO for moving companies has to answer the question every customer is quietly asking: is this mover legitimate?
- Pest control SEO: pages by pest, and claims you can back upPest control SEO works pest by pest, because that's how people search: bed bugs, termites, rodents, ants, wasps.
- Local SEO for attorneys: practice areas, profiles and the ethics rulesLocal SEO for attorneys means showing up when someone nearby searches for the legal help they need, like a divorce lawyer or a DUI attorney in their county.
- Auto repair shop marketing: getting the right cars in the baysAuto repair shop marketing works when drivers can see you fix their problem on their kind of car.
- Home care agency marketing: reaching families who are decidingHome care agency marketing reaches adult children and spouses who are often deciding under pressure.
- SEO for insurance agents: local, specific and compliantSEO for insurance agents works when someone nearby can see you write the coverage they need: auto, home, life, business, and the carriers you place it with.
- Real estate agent SEO: owning your name and your neighborhoodsReal estate agent SEO isn't about outranking Zillow or Realtor.com for listings.
- SEO for accountants: ready before tax season, useful all yearSEO for accountants works best when it's finished before January.
- SEO for photographers: getting a portfolio foundSEO for photographers comes down to two things most portfolios lack: words and speed.
- SEO for veterinarians: new clients, emergencies and speciesSEO for veterinarians starts with three facts pet owners need fast: which animals you treat, whether you see urgent or emergency cases and when, and how a new client books.
- Garage door marketing in a trade full of fake listingsGarage door marketing is harder than most because search results in this trade are crowded with fake listings and bait-priced service calls, and homeowners know it.
- Junk removal SEO: pricing, what you take, and same-dayJunk removal SEO works when a customer can answer three questions without calling: how pricing works, whether you'll take their stuff, and how soon you can come.
- Physical therapy marketing: direct access, insurance and conditionsPhysical therapy marketing works when a patient can find out quickly whether they can book without a referral, whether you take their insurance, and whether you treat their problem.
- Tree service marketing: insurance, arborists and storm workTree service marketing has to prove safety first, because homeowners know tree work is dangerous and uninsured crews exist.
Google Business Profile
Setup, upkeep, and what to do when a profile gets suspended or edited by someone else.
- Google Business Profile categories and services: how to choose themYour Google Business Profile categories decide much of which searches you appear in, and the primary category matters most.
- Google Business Profile video verification: what to filmGoogle Business Profile video verification asks for one continuous, unedited video that proves the business is real and that you manage it.
- Google Business Profile not showing up? Here's whyIf your Google Business Profile is not showing up, first check its status: unverified, under review and suspended profiles don't appear.
- How to delete a Google Business Profile, and when not toTo delete a Google Business Profile, sign in, open the profile's settings and choose to remove it.
- Google Business Profile photo size and what to postGoogle Business Profile photo size guidance: JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, ideally 720 by 720 pixels and at least 250 by 250.
- Google Business Profile posts: are they worth it?Google Business Profile posts are short updates, offers or events shown on your profile, each with a photo and a button like Call or Book.
- Google Business Profile verification: methods and what goes wrongGoogle Business Profile verification proves you run the business at the address or service area you entered.
- Google Business Profile suspended: why it happens and how to appealA Google Business Profile is usually suspended because something looks like it breaks Google's guidelines: keywords added to the business name, an address that isn't a real staffed location, an oversized service area, or a category that doesn't match.
- Someone edited my Google Business Profile. What happened?If someone edited your Google Business Profile, it was a member of the public suggesting a change, Google updating details from other sources, or another manager on the profile.
Websites
What a small-business site needs to say, and how to keep it saying it.
- Local business schema: what it is and how to add itLocal business schema is a small block of structured data, usually JSON-LD, that states your business name, address, phone, hours and service area so search engines can read them without guessing.
- Website redesign checklist for a small businessA website redesign checklist starts before any design: record which pages bring visitors and calls, keep their content and addresses or redirect each one, and carry over your name, address, phone and hours exactly.
- Wix vs Squarespace vs WordPress for a small businessWix vs Squarespace vs WordPress comes down to maintenance and freedom.
- Do I need a website for my small business if I have a Google Business Profile?For most businesses, yes: you do need a website for your small business even with a Google Business Profile.
- What makes a website design SEO-friendlySEO-friendly website design means search engines and people can both read and use the site easily: real text rather than words in images, one clear topic per page, headings that describe the page, fast loading on phones, readable URLs, and links between related pages.
- Small business website hosting: what you actually needSmall business website hosting needs to cover a few things well: a security certificate (the padlock), automatic backups you can restore, reliable uptime, decent speed, and someone responsible for software updates.
- Technical SEO for a small business websiteTechnical SEO makes sure search engines can find, read and index your pages.
- Why is my website not getting leads?A website not getting leads usually has one of a few problems: visitors can't tell what you do or where, the phone number isn't one tap away on a phone, the form is broken or too long, or there's no reason to pick you.
Reviews
Getting more of them honestly and answering the ones you have.
- Google reviews vs Yelp: which matters more for a small business?For most small businesses, Google reviews matter more, because they appear in Google Search and Maps, where most local customers look.
- Why do Google reviews disappear?Google reviews disappear for a handful of reasons: Google's spam filters remove reviews that look suspicious, including real ones, reviews that break a policy get taken down, reviewers delete their review or account, and profiles get merged or suspended.
- How to make a Google review QR codeTo make a Google review QR code, copy your review link from your Google Business Profile, then turn it into a QR code with any QR generator.
- Google review calculator: how many 5-star reviews you needThis Google review calculator shows how many new 5-star reviews it takes to move your average from where it is to where you want it.
- What a review management service should doA good review management service watches for new reviews, drafts replies that sound like you, asks every customer for a review at the right moment, and tells you what the reviews say about your business.
- How to remove bad Google reviews: what's actually possibleYou can't remove bad Google reviews just because they're negative.
- Google's review management tool, and managing reviews day to dayGoogle's review management tool is where business owners report reviews that break Google's policies, check what happened to each report, and appeal a decision once.
- How to see my Google reviews, as an owner or a reviewerTo see your Google reviews as a business owner, sign in, search your business name, and open Reviews in your Business Profile.
- Anonymous Google reviews: can you find out who wrote one?Anonymous Google reviews happen because reviewers post under their Google profile name, which can be a nickname.
- Should you buy Google reviews?No.
- Yelp business reviews: how they work for ownersYelp business reviews work differently from Google's.
- Can you edit Google reviews?Only reviewers can edit Google reviews, and only their own, from Google Maps.
- How to get more Google reviews without breaking the rulesTo get more Google reviews, ask every customer right after the job, with a direct link.
- How to respond to negative Google reviewsTo respond to negative Google reviews, reply within a day or two, briefly and calmly.
- How to report a fake Google reviewTo report a fake Google review, open it from your Business Profile, choose Report review and pick the policy it breaks.
AI for small-business marketing
Where AI helps with the work, and where it doesn't.
- AI agents for small business: what they're actually used forSmall businesses mostly use AI agents for repetitive work that costs money when it slips: following up with people who inquired, replying to routine reviews, posting to social media, and answering common questions.
- ChatGPT for small business: useful jobs, and where to be carefulChatGPT is useful for a small business as a first-draft writer and a thinking partner: emails, review replies, job ads, social posts, summaries of long documents.
- Should your small business add an AI chatbot?An AI chatbot helps a small business when it answers routine questions accurately, like hours, areas, services and how to book, especially after hours, and hands anything else to a person.
- AI tools for small business: what's worth itThe AI tools for small business worth trying first are the ones that take a task you already do every week: drafting emails and posts, taking meeting or call notes, categorizing expenses, scheduling, replying to reviews, and answering common customer questions.
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