For any online business their reputation is important as it determines your local SEO rankings. The more positive reviews you have for your business, the better your site will rank. Therefore, the focal point of Local SEO is getting those online reviews.
However, the local search algorithm considers many things such as external certification, social media presence, on-site optimisation, and listings found in the local directories and so on. Reviews make up a critical part of every local business, whether you are selling online or not.
Online reviews are important as they affect your local search engine rankings, inform consumers if they should buy your products or use your service, and have an effect on traffic to your website.
Now you may be wondering why online reviews are so imperative. Let us help answer that question for you!
The Importance of Customer Online Reviews
Before you buy a product, you want to feel reassured about a product or service and this is why online reviews from customers are most important. Therefore, how do the online reviews from clients affect your business? First you need to remember that by the time clients start looking at reviews, they have zeroed down their product or service choices.
They are on the verge of selecting and researching your business. They are deciding if your business can help them with what they need. The gap is very small between reading the available review and deciding if they are going to need your product or service.
Therefore, you need an excellent reputation, as this becomes their deciding factor in choosing your product or service. More than 80% of clients read reviews online to help them determine the quality of local companies and 65% of them say they read different reviews to convince them if they should buy a product or use a service.
Dimensional Research had done a survey and found that 90% of clients are influenced by positive reviews. This helps to determine if they want to buy a product or use certain services. While 86% felt that, a negative review influenced their decision in using or buying a product or service.
This proves the importance of reviews when looking at a client’s point of view. However, how do these online reviews fit into the ranking signals of local SEO?
Why SERPs Love Local SEO Online Reviews
When it comes to local reviews on the local search engine, it makes up 10% of the ranking factors. Reviews make it easier for users and that is why it is the primary reason that the SERPs love it. Search engines continuously work to provide accurate and instant information to clients while on the go.
If they can do this, effectively and quicker, more users come back to them when doing their next search. In turn, this helps consumers to make immediate choices when wanting a service or product. The most popular search engine is Google and local reviews have a direct impact when it comes to local rankings, as they trust reviews and especially those left on third party websites.
As these reviews link directly with SERPs, prospective clients are likely to see them. Google displays the number of reviews you have received, below the link to your site. They show a rating based on a scale of 1-5. Always strive to receive high reviews and never feel discouraged when you receive negative ones.
The negative reviews you can use to your advantage and turn your clients around advocating your business in the end. If you think that, some of the reviews are unfair, you can flag them.
Another Source of Reviews That Is Just as Important
Google is not the only platform when it comes to online reviews there are many that play an important role when it comes to local SEO online reviews. Yelp and Facebook are just as important as they generate signals that link to Google about how relevant, authentic, and established your business is.
Here are some sites you should target to obtain product and business reviews:
- Angie’s List
- Yelp
- Amazon Customer Reviews
- TripAdvisor
- Yahoo Local
- Trustpilot
How Your Business Can Earn Reviews
- Ask your clients when they are around to provide feedback about your service or product.
- Never fake it and be real as the real reviews will come out eventually even if you used a family member or friend to write a review.
- Send out emails to your customers when buying a product or using your service to please provide feedback.
- Make use of your social media and post a tweet asking your customers for a review.
- Always reply to clients who left negative reviews by humbling yourself.
How to React to Negative Reviews
Every time, you see a negative review calm down and write a private response to them. Try by starting a conversation and understanding their situation. How you can help to rectify the problem and close on a positive note. Negative reviews help you to concentrate and better on the complaints provided from your customer service to your products.
Always listen and consider every complaint as serious while moving to resolve the problem. Make up by giving your clients insensitive or discounts with their next purchase or replace the product they bought with a different one.
Conclusion
Never get angry with your clients ending up in an argument even if you are right. By getting angry online will only harm your business and reputation online. Consult with your SEO consultant, listen to client’s problems, offer solutions, and be the sweetest you can be while having an online conversation to get positive results.
Amir Noghani
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- The Focal Point of Local SEO Is Online Reviews - October 4, 2016