Google reviews vs Facebook recommendations: what's the difference?
Stars on one, recommendations on the other. How the two platforms differ and what that means for asking, replying and reporting.
Google and Facebook are the two places most local customers check before they visit. They both show reviews, but they work differently — and knowing the differences helps you ask for reviews and reply in the right way on each.
How the ratings work
Google uses a 1–5 star rating, usually with a written review. Your average star rating appears in search results and on Maps, right next to your business name.
Facebook uses recommendations: people answer "Do you recommend this business?" with yes or no, and usually add a comment. Facebook then shows a recommendation score on your page. There are no stars to average in the same way, so comparing a Facebook score directly with a Google rating doesn't really work — look at each on its own.
Where customers see them
Google reviews show up when someone searches for your business or for "near me" searches, and on Google Maps — often the very first impression a new customer gets. Facebook recommendations appear on your page and can be seen by friends of the person who recommended you, which makes them more social.
Replying
On both platforms you can reply publicly as the business, and your reply sits right under the review. The same principles apply: thank people, be specific, keep it short, and take problems offline. On Facebook, people are used to a more conversational tone; on Google, keep it a little more concise because many readers skim.
Which should you focus on?
For most local businesses, Google matters most because it's where new customers search. But don't ignore Facebook if your customers are active there — a page full of recent recommendations helps, and some people simply prefer it. The practical answer is to make it easy to do either: give customers a page with both buttons and let them choose.
Rules that apply to both
- Don't offer rewards for reviews or recommendations.
- Don't post fake reviews or ask staff to review.
- Don't only ask the customers you think are happy.
- Report reviews that break the platform's rules rather than arguing with them.
Reporting on both together
Because the two systems are different, keep their numbers separate: track your average Google rating, and your Facebook recommendation percentage, side by side. What you can compare across both is volume (how many new reviews), how many you've answered, and how quickly.
Review Sync Manager syncs both into one inbox, shows Google stars and Facebook recommendations in their own formats, posts your replies to the right platform, and reports each platform separately in analytics.