Do really reviews can affect local search rankings?

reviews impact

Even though the reviews your brand or product receives online don’t affect local search ranking directly, they do matter. The impact is huge because people are often influenced about what former customers have to say about you. With the advent of social media and social channels, people turn to the web to see whether or not a product is worth buying; or if a service is worth trying.

Change is good; and you should run from it. One bad review – for whatever reason – won’t get you off Google’s first pages. Positive reviews matters the most; people are often influenced by what they read online. There are lots of product review websites and influencer blogs that provide in-depth analyses what brand market. Surprisingly, some companies don’t care. You should, and here’s why.

seo reviews effect

Google “My Business Page” clearly display reviews on the homepage 

In case you haven’t noticed, Google displays reviews right on its homepage. Whenever you look for a product or a brand in the search engine, on the right side you will also get: general information and reviews (if any). The feature used is called My Business Page; it maps your business location too. For reviews to get displayed, you need to gather at least 5. It’s crucial to aim at good reviews if you’re a startup.

People want to see that your new business has a positive impact. Nobody will even bother to click to see what you have to offer is your overall rating is less than 4 stars.

Implementing keywords within review responses/replies

When responding to people’s reviews on your product, it’s very important to incorporate target keywords. However, you want to make sure they’re implemented organically. Don’t stuff your replies with keywords that don’t sound natural.

Many businesses don’t even bother to respond. In this case negative keywords like “terrible product”, “bad experience”, and “product not recommended”, affect local rankings indirectly. We don’t mean that your business will decrease in rank; this approach affects your reputation. Little by little people will stop buying from you; and your ROI will decline.

reviews impact

How reviews create an impact on local search rankings

Online reviews act like a social proof that your business has tracking; and that people are reacting to what you have to provide them. The more people talk about you in the online environment, the better chances you have to rank high.

A lot of consumers who are satisfied with a purchase feel the need to lash out on social media; mentioning the great experience they had. When posting a comment/tweet or share a picture, they often include the name the product/brand. With the right social media monitoring tools, you can know exactly what’s been said about you online. In case somebody has something negative to say, you can respond; offering to help amend their dissatisfaction.

Steer clear of posting fake reviews

You’re not doing any good to your business faking reviews. Rather than spread the word about how amazing your product is, it’s best to let your target audience decide. Negative reviews can help you make improvements; perfect your marketing strategy and come up with new ideas to make your campaign stand above the crowd. Eventually, you will make it. But you have to be honest and let customers decide.

Reviews increase brand recognition; thus boosting local rank

Both brands and marketers know how much reviews have increased in popularity. Social media is a main channel prospects turn to when looking for opinions on a certain product or service. To preserve your local rank (and even work to increase it), you should stay focused on customer-generated content. Gather the data to assess/improve rating score, check diversity among buyers, and come up with varied keywords that might help retarget your audience.

brand recognition

Diversity is paramount because it helps broaden your digital footprint on social media; and all across the web. Settle on social platforms that really speak to your target prospects and customers; and work your way to providing excellent support.