UPDATED: Do Google reviews affect SEO?
It is estimated that 10 percent of local SEO’s criteria is based on reviews! 10 percent is quite a hefty chunk if you think about it. Where do these reviews come from? More than likely, they are coming from your Google My Business page which is another major factor in local SEO.
Here is the importance of reviews for SEO!
Do Google reviews affect your search engine ranking?
Do Google reviews matter?
Yes, and especially Google My Business reviews. This is because not only do they show your potential customers the great work, products and/or service that are provided, but you show Google that you are a trusted company on the internet.
Google considers new reviews as fresh content on your Google My Business page and within their SERP. This fresh content leads search engines to understand your company and work within their local search algorithm.
Local businesses should especially be paying attention to reviews on Google. In fact, Google My Business reviews that contain your search for keywords was the second-most influential factor in the Map Pack of search results in Google.
The Map Pack shows the top three companies based on local search queries within Google’s SERP.
Essentially, the Map Pack puts companies in this position based on a number of factors for local SEO, but this is like getting in the top three spots of the search results. This is prime real estate that all companies should be trying to grab.
There has been a 150 percent increase in local and near me search queries, and the more authority and credibility that can be shown with your local company, the better it is for rankings.
Reviews matter primarily because Google “trusts” a customer more than they trust your company’s word. When a website receives a customer review of any kind, this information tells Google that your company is real, open and can help customers in the future.
All the while, it’s no mystery customers love reviews. Reviews equal trust. Trust entices website clicks. When trusted links are selected in Google, the search engine rewards your site with better rankings as they assume you’re doing something right.
Do Facebook reviews affect your search engine ranking?
No, social media reviews such as Facebook reviews do not affect your ranking. The only other reviews that could possibly affect your ranking is from a third-party platform like Yelp or FourSquare, but even then, your company would be within that article on the search results. However, this doesn’t mean that those reviews are not worth it.
This is because consumers trust other consumers’ opinions. Think about it, how many services and/or products have you purchased based solely on a friend’s trusted opinion of a company or restaurant?
This is known as User Generated Content (UGC) and this is important because while a consumer does their research and most of the time, their research begins on social media platforms!
Facebook lends a multitude of ways to rate a company’s services and/or products. Nearly everything on Facebook can count as positive or negative reviews. Be it a customer's comment, someone sharing their experience, asking for recommendations, tagging your business in their photos.
Because of this, Facebook is an extremely valuable tool, but also goes to show that customer service is everything. But, it is not part of the importance of reviews for SEO, but always worth it!
How do you get reviews?
When a company is offering quality goods and services, consumers will be excited to leave your business a good review. However, make sure to always respond to any review, whether it be a positive or negative one. It isn’t enough to simply have reviews, your company also needs to respond in a timely manner to any reviews that are left! This is because it builds another form of trust, and shows Google again, you are a real company.
Ask for reviews
We have found that happy customers are excited to help the brands and companies they enjoy working with. There is no shame in asking, and in an effort to get more reviews, you can provide a discount on one month’s worth of services!
Taking the opportunity to ask for a quick review after you have completed a job gives you greater odds of obtaining one.
Make it simple
Keep it easy, peasy, lemon squeezy! If you send out an email campaign, make sure to include where to leave reviews and how you are tracking said reviews that are left. This ensures that consumers are following the “rules” and you can respond in a timely manner.
Did you know Google can generate a review link for you? This might be the most important link you create. This link directly sends your customers to your Google My Business page.
Do Google review matter? They sure do! Google Reviews are an important piece of the SEO puzzle. With the holidays approaching, now would be a good time to start implementing an easy process to obtain reviews as your products are purchased and other services are used.