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Website Reviews Can Boost Your Local SEO
Your reputation speaks to who you are as a business – what people have to say matters. And what people have to say online matters even more. So, if you have a business, managing your online reviews should be a priority.
Website reviews affect your rankings in local search engines, website traffic, and can even affect whether or not you’ll convert a potential consumer. Which makes your website reviews as influential on your local SEO strategy as your on-page optimization.
In this article, we will dig deeper into why website reviews matter and walk through how to improve and respond to your Google My Business reviews.
Why website reviews matter for local SEO
84% of consumers trust your Google website reviews as much as they would trust a recommendation from someone they know. And most people will read anywhere from 4 to 6 reviews before making up their mind.
It’s true, people love reviews. Which makes Google love reviews too. A recent survey showed that website reviews make up for an astonishing 10% of how search engines like Google decide to rank your site.
If your business has a lot of great reviews, Google sees this and will rank your site higher on the search engine results page. It also increases your chancing of getting listed in the local pack. A higher listing results in increased traffic, thus increasing the chances of converting a potential buyer.
How can I improve my online reviews?
If a person is trying to decide which business to choose, they’re going to go to the reviews. And even if there are multiple shining reviews, a single negative review, without a response from the business, can be enough to send them looking elsewhere.
Which probably leaves you wondering how you can improve your website reviews. Well, the answer is simple – encourage your customers to leave them. Then respond to them.
Responding to Google My Business Reviews
Responding to your Google My Business reviews is equally as important as responding to positive reviews.
To respond to either, genuinely thank the reviewer by name for taking the time to leave a response. If it is negative, acknowledge their feelings, offer an apology, and express how you will solve the issue. You can even offer to discuss it further if you feel it would be helpful. And most importantly, keep it short!
Do online Google reviews help ranking?
If it isn’t clear by now, yes your website reviews absolutely affect your local SEO, ranking, and your online reputation. But they also matter for a whole different set of reasons. Ultimately, by improving your local SEO, you improve your website traffic and increase your number of consumers, thus helping you grow your business.
The formula is simple, improve your website reviews and your local SEO will improve as well.
Need help managing your online reviews?
Not sure how to move forward with building your online reputation? When you partner with Charley Grey, a web design agency, we do all the building and managing for you – including your reviews. Let’s talk about it over coffee! Give us a call at (317) 207-2015.