Since the beginning of business, reviews have been critical to a company’s success. People trust reviews much more than marketing spin or sales pitches, even if they’re saying the same thing. The importance of
With reviews and
1. Content Is King and Reviews Are Content
Content is one of the most important aspects of any online or offline marketing strategy, including
Surveys show that 60% of marketers are creating new content every day, but that’s no easy task. Luckily, every time a customer leaves a review, they’re creating new content for you. This is user-generated content, and it will probably be filled with keywords and other information about your business that Google uses to help you rank.
So if you’d like to take a break from content creation, try and generate more positive reviews from your customers instead.
2. Reviews and Citations Are Gold for Local SEO
One of the aims of local SEO is to appear in the Local Pack, a set of three businesses that Google displays above the top organic ranking for local search results. This feature is displayed alongside a map and is common in search results for businesses from plumbers to restaurants.
Research from Moz states that reviews are the third most important ranking factor for appearing in the Local Pack, only behind Google My Business and link related signals. As well as reviews, Moz ranks citations as the fifth most important signal.
Citations are references to your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) on different sites across the internet. Many of these sites, like Yellow Pages, also allow customers to leave reviews, which can boost your online presence even further.
3. Increase Click-Through Rate With Rich Snippets
When your listing appears in Google search results, you need something to help it stand apart.
One way to stand apart is to harness the power of your positive review score. Businesses can integrate star reviews into their search result listings using what is known as rich snippets. These snippets provide extra information in Google listings, including images and star reviews.
Rich snippets have been found to increase click-through rates and decrease bounce rates, both of which are essential considerations for
It’s important to note that Google limits the type of listings that can display review snippets to ensure they are useful for users and not merely self-serving.
4. Responding to Reviews Builds Credibility
Customers value reviews, and they also value two-way conversations. Google also values responding to reviews, and it encourages businesses to do so on its official support page.
There are a few key reasons to respond to reviews, but it mostly comes down to credibility. Google wants to recommend the best options to users. When it sees that you’re not only earning positive reviews but also responding to all reviews, it helps to boost the credibility and authenticity of your business.
Responding to reviews also increases your credibility with customers, as they can see that you’re building relationships with happy customers and trying to address unhappy ones. Engaging with negative reviews could also prompt the poster to remove or amend their review, which is another big positive for your
5. Social Proof Works!
Have you ever gone to a website only to see a list of industry awards, brands they work with, and customer reviews and testimonials? This is called social proof, and it’s a shortcut that helps our brains decide to buy something.
Instead of having to do all the research, we rely on the fact that businesses are award-winners, well-reviewed, and that they work with reputable brands, and we use that information to confirm our decision. That’s why you see so many product reviews displayed on e-commerce sites. They help convert people from window shoppers to customers.
The research backs this up too, with 88% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and 93% admitting that consumer reviews affected their decision to buy.
Social proof is a good thing for your business, but it can also be useful specifically for your
All of this time on-page is a strong sign to Google that your website can be trusted!
6. Even a Few Negative Reviews Won’t Hurt Your Business
One of the last things a business owner wants to see is a one-star review with some scathing feedback. Whether the complaint is valid or not, you shouldn’t stress too much. Every business will receive a bad rap sometimes, and even Google acknowledges that the best sites and the best companies will get bad reviews.
A few bad reviews will not hurt your
- Consumers often look for products/services with lots of reviews, so the more reviews, the better.
- Glowing reviews are often less trusted than only moderately positive ones, according to Harvard Business School.
- As previously mentioned, engaging with negative reviews can result in a win for both the business and the reviewer if you approach the topic correctly.
- Negative reviews can help you address gaps in your services/communication, which you can address by tweaking your
SEO and content marketing efforts.
Start Generating More Positive Reviews for Your Business
As you can see, reviews can be pretty powerful, and to get more reviews for your business, all you need to do is ask. Satisfied customers will usually be happy to leave you a review, and by using a tool like the Supple Review tools, you can quickly point them to your Google My Business review section. This makes it easy for the customer to leave their review and also benefits your GMB listing, which, once again, is excellent for
DepositPhotos – good review
