As a business owner, you know that online reviews are important. Good customer reviews can improve your click-through rate, build trust, and generate leads.
But did you know that online reviews can also benefit your local SEO campaign?
If you’re not familiar with how local SEO works, it’s basically the process of optimising your website to rank higher in search results for people who are searching for businesses like yours in their local area.
And one of the factors that Google takes into account when determining where to rank websites is the number and quality of customer reviews. So if you want to give your local SEO performance a boost, focus on collecting more positive customer reviews.
Table of Contents:
- The Power of Customer Reviews
- How Customer Reviews Benefit Local SEO Campaigns
- Why You Should Collect More Customer Reviews
- Tips for Getting More Positive Online Reviews
- Managing Your Online Reputation with Review Management Software
- Conclusion
The Power of Customer Reviews
It’s no secret that search engines like Google love giving preference to websites with fresh content. But did you know that customer reviews can actually benefit your local SEO campaign?
That’s right – fresh, relevant, and keyword-rich reviews can help improve your website’s ranking in search results. Think about it – when someone searches for a local business, they’re more likely to click on a listing that has positive reviews.
And the more positive reviews a business has, the higher it will rank in search results. So if you’re looking to improve your local search rankings, encourage your customers to leave business reviews on your website or on popular review platforms or sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp, and TripAdvisor.
These are the 3 most important review websites for your local business!
Just make sure that the reviews are relevant and keyword-rich so that they’ll actually benefit your SEO campaign.
Looking for more tips on improving your local SEO? Contact a local SEO expert today.
How Customer Reviews Benefit Local SEO Campaigns
In today’s digital age, customers are increasingly turning to the internet to find businesses they need.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to make sure your business shows up in search engine results.
Here’s why customer reviews are so important for your business’s online success:
1. Customer Reviews Improve Your Search Engine Ranking.
When potential customers search for businesses like yours online, one of the factors that determines which businesses show up in the local search results is customer reviews.
Businesses with positive consumer reviews are more likely to rank higher through Google maps search results, which means more customers will see your listing and be able to find your business. The review quantity matters almost as much as the quality here!
2. Customer Reviews Build Trust and Credibility.
When customers read positive review signals about your business, they’ll be more likely to trust your business and consider using your products or services. In today’s digital world, trust and credibility are essential for businesses that want to succeed.
Which listing would you rather click on, a listing with 2 stars or 4.5 stars?
3. Customer Reviews Can Help You Attract New Customers.
Positive customer business reviews act as a form of social proof, which can help you attract new customers. When potential customers see that other people have had positive experiences with your business, they’ll be more likely to give your business a try.
4. Customer Reviews Give You Valuable Feedback.
In addition to helping you attract new customers and improve your SEO rankings, customer reviews can also give you valuable feedback about your business.
You can use this feedback to improve your products, overall user experience or services and make your business even more successful.
If you want to improve your local SEO and attract more customers, start by encouraging your customers to leave reviews. You can do this by setting up a system for collecting customer reviews, such as using an online review platform like Google Reviews or Yelp. Review diversity matters as your target audience might use different types of platforms to look for your services!
You can also give your customers an incentive to leave a review, such as offering a discount on their next purchase.
Remember, according to Google terms of services, you should not give any incentive nor pay for a positive review!
Why You Should Collect More Customer Reviews
If you’re running a local SEO campaign, then you know how important it is to get your business seen online and gather positive reviews.
That’s right – reviews can help improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs), making it more likely that potential customers will find you when they’re searching for businesses like yours.
There are a few things to keep in mind when collecting business reviews:
1. Make It Easy for Customers to Leave Reviews.
Include links to your review pages on your website and in any email communications you have with customers.
2. Ask Customers for Specific Feedback.
The more detailed the review, the more helpful it will be.
You can ask people to use specific keywords related to your business in their reviews. This will help your Maps rankings!
3. Encourage Positive Reviews.
Don’t be afraid to ask customers to leave a review if they had a positive experience with your business. After all, you want to showcase your positive reviews, not the bad ones!
4. Respond to All Reviews.
Thank customers for their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative. This shows that you’re paying attention and that you care about your customers’ experiences.
Collecting customer reviews can take some effort, but it’s worth it. Reviews can help improve your local SEO campaign, making it more likely that potential customers will find your business online.
Tips for Getting More Positive Online Reviews
What if you’re not getting many reviews? Or what if you’re getting mostly negative reviews?
Here are some tips for getting more positive online reviews:
1. Make It Easy for Customers to Leave Reviews.
Make sure your business is listed on popular review sites like Google My Business, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. Include links to these sites on your website and in your email signature.
2. Respond to All Reviews, Both Positive and Negative.
Thank customers who leave positive reviews and apologise to those who leave negative reviews. Publicly responding to reviews shows that you care about your customers and their experience with your business.
3. Offer Incentives.
Incentivise customers to leave reviews by offering discounts or coupons. Just be sure not to offer an incentive for a positive review, as that could be considered bribery.
4. Monitor Your Online Reputation.
Use Google Alerts or another online brand reputation management tool to track what’s being said about your business online. This will help you quickly address any negative reviews.
Managing Your Online Reputation with a Review Management Software
There’s no doubt that reviews are important for local SEO campaigns. After all, they provide valuable insights about your business that can help you improve your operations.
But what about negative reviews?
While it’s important to take steps to prevent negative reviews, it’s also important to know how to deal with them when they do occur. That’s where review management software comes in.
A review management software can help you track your online reputation and take action to improve it.
Here are some of the ways it can benefit your local SEO campaign:
- It can help you track your online reputation every day.
- It can help you identify and respond to negative reviews.
- It can help you generate positive reviews.
- It can help you monitor your competitors’ online reputation.
- It can help you track your progress over time.
- It can alert you if your GMB listing goes down or if someone is trying to push any updates on it!
If you’re looking to improve your local SEO campaign and are serious about your local SEO, a review management software can be a valuable tool. It can help you track your online reputation, identify and respond to negative reviews, generate positive reviews, and monitor your progress over time.
We can assist you in this area by integrating your company listing into our cutting-edge review management system, which allows us to automatically contact customers via SMS or email a few weeks after a service is completed to solicit reviews. In the event of a positive review, the system may route customers directly to your company listing to ask for a review or recommend that customers write an email to your staff instead in case of a poor review!
This is a powerful way to automate your review campaign and grow your online exposure in your local market!
Conclusion
If you’re not already doing so, start collecting customer reviews to improve your local SEO campaign. Customer reviews are one of the factors that Google takes into account when determining where to rank websites in Google Maps (Google My Business, or map pack).
So focus on getting more positive online reviews, and you’ll see a boost in your website’s search engine ranking and hyperlocal SEO campaign.
