Managing your business’s online reputation is an important aspect in your local SEO strategy. A positive reputation can help your conversion rate, as your credibility will be established by satisfied customers. In addition, reviews can play a role in your search engine visibility, helping you to stand apart from your competitors. Survey research shows that over half of online consumers use reviews in their decision making. This means that potential customers will often be searching with the term “rating” or “review” somewhere in their search query.
Review Signals
Importance of Review Sites
With Google’s pigeon update in 2014, directory and map sites like Yelp have a stronger presence in the search engine results. As you may have noticed, Yelp listings can rank higher than the business’s website. If you haven’t already, you should claim your business listing on Yelp. This allows you to ensure the accuracy of information, add photos of your business or products, and respond to customer reviews. Currently, Yelp is one of the most popular review sites, and it would serve your SEO goals to ensure your business has a presence on Yelp.
Unfortunately, consumers often feel compelled to leave a review with negative feedback. It is important that you monitor your feedback, and respond to the negative reviews as soon as possible. Reach out to the client through the review site, and offer to move the conversation offline. Provide the customer with means of contacting you personally, and you can attempt to resolve the issue.
Now that you have some information regarding reviews and how they can help your local SEO efforts, you can incorporate review management into your digital marketing strategy.
If you found this blog interesting you might also want to check out “People Skills: The Importance of Communication in the Digital Age“