User trends show that there is a strong correlation between local SEO and mobile browsing which has resulted in a lot of SEO companies and business owners giving more significance to online reviews. Online customer reviews do not only allow prospective customers to get an idea about your company’s services and products but it also creates authentic content which search engines love. Customer reviews have a lot of implications due to their ability to affect:
- the ranking of your website in local search engines
- the search results which actually show up and/or get clicked on
- consumer decisions
How online reviews have an impact on local SEO
Google loves going through online reviews because people love going through customer reviews. Similar to how SEO is about optimizing your site for search engines like Google, search engines optimize your site for users. Several things you should be aware of when it comes to SEO and customer reviews include:
- Quantity: It matters how many reviews you have on your site. Google and search engines prefer a good quantity of customer reviews. However, it is important to not go too crazy because that can result in a cluttered site.
- Ratings: While it sounds obvious, it is essential for the ratings in the reviews to be good. It is definitely fine to have some below average reviews because you want to appear genuine but keep in mind that Google considers both the quality and the quantity.
- Keywords: If the customer reviews have certain keywords and/or your product name, the search engine bot will certainly deem your website relevant and start showing it in the top search results. Considering keywords are essential for SEO in every part of the website, reviews are just one more place to put them.
- Competition: If your competitors have user reviews on their websites, it gives them an edge on the local Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for all the reasons mentioned above. Nevertheless, it is essential to keep in mind that starting first does not mean finishing first. You can still plan a solid strategy to outrank them.
- Mobile: A lot of mobile users search for customer reviews before making a purchase from a local establishment. Reviews combined with a mobile-friendly website can increase the traffic on your business’s website by double.
Good for your local SEO
While getting customer reviews and increasing the number is not as difficult, it might be a tad time consuming. The most important thing to keep in mind is that good reviews come from good service. Faking a review or forcing it out of a customer is never a good idea.
If your customers are not interested in giving reviews or you are not achieving the results you were expecting. Try changing certain things or ask for feedback regarding how the services your business provides can be improved. This is not only going to be good for your local SEO, but it is also going to help your business grow and acquire the consumer base required to succeed.
