Google Reviews

The Importance of Google Reviews

The quality and quantity of reviews on Google is one of the most important ranking factors for local SEO. Moreover, when a person scans the search results for a domestic product or service in Google, the business listings that include customer reviews present greater credibility and, naturally, receive more clicks.
Getting reviews from your customers has always been a beneficial exercise for business, but today its importance is to;

Get Noticed: Why Google Reviews Matter for Small Businesses.

There are three main benefits of getting customer reviews;

  • To acquire testimonials you can use in marketing your business.
  • To better understand what you are doing right and/or wrong as a business.
  • And third, to improve the visibility of your business on Google.
In regards to the latter, the importance of accumulating genuine and honest reviews of your services online is ever increasing. Although you may have all the other elements of your local search strategy covered, the power of review data should not be underestimated. First, the power of the customer testimonial cannot be underestimated in its influence on other potential customers. You can tell me you are nice, and I may believe you.

However, if an unbiased third party tells me you are nice, I’d be much more inclined to believe it. In fact, one recent study suggests that customer reviews are the most powerful purchase influence. Another study found that 88% of consumers consult reviews before making a purchase, and yet another study indicated that 63% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a site that has customer reviews. One hesitation businesses have in soliciting online reviews is the fear of receiving a bad review. However, receiving the odd bad review is not necessarily a bad thing. Actively replying to bad reviews and looking to resolve a situation illustrates to your new potential customers that you care about your clients. A study actually found that bad reviews can increase conversion by 67%. So, why are testimonials so important in an SEO strategy? In Google’s pursuit to deliver the most relevant and beneficial results for local searches, they not only want to know what your business does but how your business is perceived. They do this, in large part, by seeing how many reviews you have and what your average customer rating is. Want proof? The tour illustrating the features of the new Google Maps states outright that the “highest-rated” businesses near you will be returned when you search with local intent. Google also recently updated its map search layout to show ratings and reviews much more prominently. Additionally, with Google, content is king; adding user-generated content on your site or your Google plus page is a great way to add new, fresh, and unique content. The quality and quantity of reviews on Google is one of the most important ranking factors for local SEO. Moreover, when a person scans the search results for a domestic product or service in Google, the business listings that include customer reviews present greater credibility and, naturally, receive more clicks. If your search result listing shows a 4.5-star rating with 18 reviews (and your competitor listings show less), that’s strong social proof that your product or service is trustworthy.

Verify your business on Google
In order to verify your business on Google, first your business needs a Google+ page. If you already have one, you can claim your business on Google. The search engine favours verified businesses, so take time to confirm the information Google has by postcard or phone; or, depending on the size of your business, instant or bulk verification may be available.
Ask your customers

For businesses, online reviews are one of the best direct channels for customer feedback.

Here is our link,

Hi Name,

If you liked my service, would you mind making a Google review, it’s easy just follow the link and make your review.

https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJld5t5LOek2sRs51amES9IyU

Just wait for the review window to open.

Your customer will need to login to Google or create a free account to do the Review; Reviews can be made through Google by customers themselves by adding a review on your Google Maps.

Answering your reviews especially if someone has done a bad review for whatever reason is extremely important, and you can answer them all if needed.