Testimonial vs. Review: How Do They Differ? Which Is Better?

Customer feedback can show up as quick star ratings or detailed success stories—but does it matter if it’s a review or a testimonial?

If you're trying to build trust or improve conversions, knowing the difference matters.

In this guide, we’ll break down how each one works and how to use both to strengthen your reputation.

Testimonial and Review Overview

Let's first understand how testimonials and reviews work. This way, we'll know how to use each one effectively to build trust and influence how people see your brand.

What is a Testimonial?

A testimonial is a positive statement from a satisfied customer, often requested by the business to build trust and influence potential buyers.

It's typically displayed on websites, landing pages, or social media, and may include the customer's name, photo, and specific results.

Example

“We’ve tried several marketing platforms, but SurgePoint has delivered the most consistent results.

In just 3 months, our Google reviews tripled and referrals increased by 40%.

Their automation tools made everything easier for our front desk staff. Highly recommended!”

— Dr. Elaine Rivera, Owner of River Dental Group

Unlike reviews, testimonials are carefully selected and always positive, serving more as endorsements than unbiased feedback.

What is a Review?

A review is an unsolicited public comment about a customer’s real experience, typically posted on third-party platforms like Google, Yelp, or Facebook.

Reviews can range from glowing praise to harsh criticism and often include star ratings.

They’re brief, to the point, and open to anyone who has interacted with the business—making them more raw and authentic than testimonials.

Example

★★★★☆

“The appointment process was smooth, and the staff was friendly. My only issue was the wait time, but overall, I’m happy with the service. Will definitely come back.”

— Posted on Google Reviews

Because they’re harder to control, reviews are seen as more unbiased by new customers doing research.

What are the Differences Between a Review and a Testimonial?

Knowing the difference helps you use each one to build trust and drive conversions more effectively.

Here’s a closer look at each key difference:

Source and Intent

Reviews are usually written on the customer’s own time, often on platforms like Google or Yelp. They can be positive or negative and give a more raw, honest look at how people feel about a business.

Testimonials are requested by the business, typically from happy clients, and are meant to highlight a great experience in a more polished and focused way.

Platform and Placement

Reviews live on third-party platforms like Google or Facebook and often appear in search results, shaping how people view your brand before they even visit your site.

Testimonials are placed on your own channels such as your website or email campaigns, and you control how they're presented to match your brand and goals.

Content Style and Format

Reviews are usually brief and informal, written in the customer’s own words.

Some are just star ratings with a quick comment, while others go into more detail, highlighting different parts of the experience like service or product quality.

Testimonials are more structured.

They often follow a storytelling pattern: problem → solution → outcome.

They’re also more likely to include real names, titles, or photos to boost credibility.

Business Control and Curation

Reviews are outside your control. You can’t edit or remove them unless they break platform rules.

What you can do is respond, and how you handle feedback—especially negative ones—says a lot about your professionalism.

Testimonials are curated by you. You choose who to ask, what to showcase, and how the message is presented.

You can guide the customer with specific questions to help shape a clear and impactful story.

Level of Trust and Perceived Bias

Reviews are seen as unbiased because businesses can’t edit or select them. Even a few negative ones can build trust if most are positive and you respond well.

Testimonials are more biased by nature, but that’s expected. They’re meant to provide social proof in settings you control, like landing pages or sales materials.

SEO and Marketing Impact

Reviews help with local SEO. Google reviews affect your map ranking, click-through rate, and ad visibility. Having more recent reviews boosts both trust and exposure.

Testimonials help with conversions. They don’t affect search rankings, but when placed near pricing or forms, they can ease doubts and encourage action.

Emotional vs Rational Appeal

Reviews often reflect emotion like satisfaction or frustration.

They're unfiltered and offer honest insights businesses can learn from.

Testimonials focus on results.

They speak to potential customers looking for proof and provide logical reasons to buy through relatable success stories.

Which is Better Between a Testimonial and Review?

Testimonials and reviews both influence buying decisions, but they serve different purposes. Knowing when to use each depends on your goal and where the buyer is in their journey.

Testimonials Are Better If:

Testimonials shine when you need more control, emotional storytelling, or trust reinforcement during key conversion moments.

You’re building landing pages or sales funnels

Testimonials help reduce buyer hesitation by showcasing real customer success stories. When placed near pricing tables, forms, or CTAs, they add the reassurance buyers need.

You want to spotlight specific use cases or outcomes

If you want to show how your service helped a specific type of client (e.g., a law firm, med spa, or dental clinic), a testimonial lets you tailor the story to match the prospect's needs.

You need controlled, polished content

Testimonials give you full control over the message, structure, and visual layout—making them ideal for brochures, pitch decks, and email campaigns.

You’re investing in paid ads

In performance marketing, short testimonial quotes or video snippets build quick trust and boost CTR—especially when paired with visuals of real people or businesses.

You want to align messaging with brand voice

Since testimonials can be edited and formatted, they’re great for reinforcing your tone, values, and specific selling points across owned content.

Reviews Are Better If:

Reviews are most effective when you need credibility, public validation, or SEO strength.

You want to improve local SEO and discoverability

Google reviews directly affect your local map rankings. Having consistent, positive reviews improves visibility and makes your business easier to find online.

You want to show authentic, unfiltered feedback

Reviews are raw and unbiased, which helps build initial trust. Buyers often read through both 5-star and 3-star reviews to get a full picture of what it’s like to work with you.

You want quantity and social proof at scale

While testimonials are curated, reviews give you volume. A business with 100+ positive reviews tends to look more trustworthy than one with 3 polished testimonials.

You want to highlight customer service, speed, or experience

Many reviews mention specific elements—like how quickly your team responded, how easy onboarding was, or how smooth the process felt. These small wins build trust.

You need credibility across multiple platforms

Because reviews live on third-party sites (Google, Yelp, Facebook), they provide legitimacy beyond your own website. Buyers see them as independent and credible.

Conclusion

If you’re ready to take your reputation marketing to the next level, we’ve built tools that make it easier.

From automating how you get reviews and referrals to uncovering customer trends through insights and staying in touch with clients using Repeat—our platform is designed to help your business grow by word of mouth.

We also share tips and strategies over on our blog and in our reputation marketing hub if you're still exploring what works best for your industry.

Speaking of which, if you're in a field like law, dentistry, healthcare, med spas, plumbing, or landscaping—we’ve tailored solutions that fit your needs.

Wherever you are in your journey, we’re here to support you. Feel free to browse the rest of our site or reach out to us directly at info@thesurgepoint.com if you have any questions.

Good luck, and we hope to help you turn great customer experiences into the kind of social proof that drives real business results.

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