Google reviews can significantly impact a business's search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, and therefore, it is essential to understand how they work.
First and foremost, Google reviews are a type of user-generated content (UGC) that can help to improve the credibility and authority of a business. When people see that a business has positive reviews from satisfied customers, it can help to boost their confidence in the business and encourage them to visit the website. When I see a business has a lot of good reviews, I feel they're a more trustworthy business. People like to work with trustworthy businesses.
Google reviews also help to improve a business's local SEO. When you have good local SEO, you rank higher on Google than your local competitors. When a business has a large number of positive reviews, it can help to improve their visibility in local search results, which can be incredibly beneficial for businesses that rely on local customers.
Additionally, Google reviews can also help to improve a website's overall SEO by providing valuable inbound links. When someone leaves a review on Google, they are also providing a link to the business's website. These links can help to improve the website's overall authority and search engine ranking.
To encourage customers to leave reviews, it's important to make it easy for them to do so. This can be done by including a link to the business's Google review page in email signatures, on the website, and on social media. It's also important to respond to reviews, both positive and negative, in a timely manner. Responding to reviews can show that the business values customer feedback and is actively engaged with its customers.
Still having trouble getting reviews?
We can set up an automated process to ask your past clients for reviews. Anytime you finish working with a client or customer, we build a system that automatically emails them requesting a good review. Have your own clients help you get more business!
What if the reviews you're getting are very boring and generic?
My business coach once gave me the task of calling my past clients by hand and getting the info that they liked and what helped them the most with their new websites, branding, and/or SEO boosts. I used that information to write stunning reviews using their words. I followed up the call with an email with a link to review my business and an already curated review ready for them to copy and paste! It's a lot more work, but the results are stunning.
In conclusion, Google reviews can play a critical role in improving a business's SEO. They can help to boost credibility and visibility in local search results, and provide valuable inbound links. By making it easy for customers to leave reviews and responding to them, businesses can encourage more reviews and improve their SEO.
