Do Google reviews impact your SEO? The short answer is, YES! They absolutely do.
Let’s be honest, getting reviews can be a lot of work. Getting someone to take the time to write a positive review requires effort some businesses don’t feel like they have the time for. With so many other things to worry about it can often fall to the wayside.
If you’re working to build your SEO and get your business found by new customers, then you need to start worrying about reviews. They’re an essential part of any good SEO strategy.
As of 2017, the impact of Google reviews on SEO has continued to increase by over 20% year-over-year. In a post-pandemic world, people are relying on the internet now more than ever to make purchasing decisions. Just think about how much this percentage has risen and how it is only going to continue to rise.
How Much do Reviews Really Impact SEO?
A ton. Google wants to provide its users with the best possible companies for their specific search queries. That means they want businesses that have relevant content and that are producing positive results for their customers. In fact, studies have proven that it’s one of the top 5 factors considered for SEO rankings.
Plus, ratings and Google Maps go hand in hand. An optimized Google listing can help businesses increase their visibility, gain a competitive edge, and boost their rankings on SERPs. Google looks at the quantity, quality, frequency, and recency of online reviews.
Businesses that want to build brand awareness and rank higher on Google searches need to be collecting reviews regularly. The higher the rating the better as well as the more positive reviews you can get the better. These numbers show Google whether users find a particular brand to be trustworthy and reliable. The number that seems to be a solid baseline is 4.1/5 stars. Companies that achieve this see more benefits from their reviews.
Reputation Management
Whether a review is good or bad, potential customers will be looking at them when making purchasing decisions. By responding to all of your reviews you can show customers that you’re a company that is professional and one that cares about its customers. Thank customers for kind reviews and take steps to resolve issues with customers who have had a less than perfect experience. This will build trust with current customers too for added benefit.
It’s important to know what to do when/if you ever get a less than glowing review. If you’re looking for in-depth information on this, we recently wrote an article to help you out. We also offer custom solutions for review collection and reputation management.
Remember, if you get one outlier review from a delayed package or a-typical incident it won’t tank your results. Respond to the review and resolve the issue if possible. Then, simply reach out to more customers to try to collect more positive reviews and keep improving your products and services to prevent repeat issues.
Make Leaving Reviews Simple
Like we mentioned before, collecting reviews is no easy task. It’s important that you make the process as simple and streamlined as possible for your customers. Provide them with direct links to leave a review! This takes out the need to type in your business name, click your Google My Business Profile, and find your reviews.
Don’t be afraid to ask for them in unique ways like on a receipt, through an email, or even via text if that’s how you communicate with your customers. Providing them with multiple opportunities in a non-pushy way is also helpful. People are busy and may need a simple reminder.
The impact of reviews on a business’s SEO ranking cannot be understated. Consumers, now more than ever, rely on online reviews when making purchasing decisions. As a result, it’s safe to say that the more positive, authentic reviews a company can get will result in higher rankings on Google and other search engines.