The Importance of Google Reviews: Part 11
Why Google Reviews Matter - SEO, online presence, overall marketing
Google reviews themselves are one piece of the Google Business Profile system, which is one piece of Google's search engine platform. But why is that significant? The reason being, all three are connected.
Understanding the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the new frontier for many modern day marketers. SEO is the system embedded in search engines dictating what sites will populate in a user's search engine results pages, or SERPs. It's the system that determines whether your business will show up in search results, or stay buried in the sea of unknown websites and content.
This ranking system is dependent on a myriad of different factors. Based on that ranking, you could be one of the first three businesses to show in a search result, or you could be so low on the algorithm that you'll never get seen at all. Your Google reviews and your overall Google Business Profile play a significant role in SEO.
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SEO Optimization
The more Google reviews you can generate, and the frequency at which you generate them, the better your SEO will be. More reviews coupled with a higher review rating will increase user clicks to your website. The more clicks you have to your site; the higher Google will rank your site among others in the same industry.
"Not only do your Google reviews let the robots know what your site's all about, but your customers can even fill in gaps that your website's content may have missed" (1SEO, 2019).
Even the content written in these customer reviews matters. If certain search terms are written in a customer's Google review, this can increase SEO, creating better likelihood of your website and Google Business Profile showing up in user search results.
Optimizing your Google Business Profile page for SEO is critical to maximize your online presence. Some examples of this would be including your services, website link, address, and phone number. As a general rule, the more information you provide, the better your SEO results will be.
One last key piece to maximizing your SEO and generating the best traffic to your business profile is to generate new reviews. Customers coming across your profile take into account how recent the reviews on your Google page are. It's a way of communicating that your company is still relevant and active. Just like outdated content doesn't help your business, neither does relying on multiple year-old reviews. Managing your online presence and generating Google reviews is an ongoing process just like running your business, but the returns are well worth the investment.
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Google Analytics
Understanding just how valuable Google reviews can be to your business will serve you well. When a customer reads a review, this sets a benchmark for their expectations. A poor review will leave them with the expectation that they too will be poorly served whereas a positive review gives them a concrete expectation that they can trust your business, giving them the confidence to move forward with a potential purchase.
Creating the expectation of customer success by having a former customer of yours vouch for your business is an incredibly powerful marketing tool. Gathering Google reviews provides you with an opportunity to further spread that same message. Many businesses nowadays implement the strategy of posting Google reviews to other platforms online. This could be a dedicated section or page on their website or even content used for their social media channels.
Finding different ways to maximize the spread of Google reviews is a very resourceful way to increase your online reputation. Piecing together your SEO, online presence, marketing efforts, and continuously generating current reviews, are a surefire way to develop your business for the long haul.