Using Online Reviews to Boost SEO

Apr 09, 2021

One of the oldest and most effective marketing strategies in the book is word of mouth, and in 2021, it takes the form of online reviews. With consumers more digitally savvy than ever before and with such a wide array of products available with the click of a button, businesses who maintain a solid reputation and review management strategy will find they gain a competitive edge.

However, getting and curating online reviews continues to be a challenge for many business owners. Too many perfect reviews and shoppers will be suspicious. Too many negative reviews or no reviews at all, and customers will take their money elsewhere. If you haven’t been responding to reviews, that too will make an impression on readers. 

Quality of reviews is also a factor for local search result rankings. Keeping up with reputation management will boost traffic to your website and increase the chances of conversions. Even if you’re actively managing your reputation within your local community, managing your online reputation is equally important today, especially with the prevalence of online business review sites.

Beyond working with a team of marketing professionals that will help your business craft a reputation management strategy, there are other ways that you can use online reviews to help improve SEO efforts.

Pick the Right Platform

There are several platforms where shoppers can leave reviews, with Facebook, Google, and Yelp leading the pack. Hone in on the place where you have the highest volume of reviews; this is the platform that shoppers naturally gravitate towards and will offer the most ROI when it comes to reputation management. Reminder: If you haven’t already claimed your Google My Business page, now’s the time to do it and offer one more space for customers to leave feedback.

Mine For Keywords

Search engines like Google rank websites based on how relevant the content is to the user’s search terms. Sift through your online reviews consistently to see what customers are saying. Is it good or bad? Are they referencing the quality of your products or the dependability of your services? Are they mentioning the problems that your business is helping them solve? Ask these questions when looking through reviews; if you see relevant keywords that pop up frequently, add them to your website content.

Always (Always) Respond

The best way to get good reviews is by offering quality to your customers, but the truth is that negative reviews happen. Mitigating this feedback requires a well-crafted response from you as the business owner — remember that it’s not personal but it is a chance to improve your quality. On that note, you should also acknowledge positive reviews from time to time. These responses will show up in search results and let potential customers know that you’re an engaged and proactive business.

Showcase Positive Online Reviews

When you get those glowing online reviews, make sure to show them off! Share them on your social media accounts, and find a way to highlight them on your website. Either create a separate page for testimonials or use a third-party tool that integrates with your website to send a constant stream of reviews to be displayed on the site. (This goes back to building SEO-friendly content based on search engine user intent.)

This is one of the most powerful tactics we use to help our clients. Click here to see an example from our client, PestShield.  Click here to see how it works with our client, Axleboy Offroad.

Work With the Professionals

The good news is that you can manage your reputation so you can somewhat control the perception prospective customers get of your business. By building a full-fledged reputation marketing strategy for your company, you can harness the power of what your happiest customers have to say on your behalf. Getting great reviews and knowing how to use them is how you leverage your good reputation and help more prospects get to know, like, and trust you – and ultimately recommend you to their friends and neighbors, too.

Online reputation management ensures that you stay on top of your reputation, getting your name out there in positive ways and dealing with any negative reviews as they show up to minimize their damage. Do not leave your online reputation to chance. Start a reputation management campaign that keeps your business looking great to prospective customers.

Whether you just want to look professional to prospective customers or employees who are “kicking your tires” or if you also want to gain a steady stream of new leads and phone calls generated from Google searches that lead to your website, we can help.

The post Using Online Reviews to Boost SEO appeared first on Cole Dalton.

Forecasting the Next Ten Years of Marketing

10 Apr, 2024
Marketing is gearing up for significant changes as we enter the new decade. With new technologies, shifts in buyer behavior, and changes in consumption culture, the way businesses reach out to customers will look very different in the coming years. While we can't say what marketing will look like in 10 years, we can examine emerging trends and strategies to forecast its future. Here are some predictions experts are suggesting could take shape moving forward. Increasing Personalized Advertising Personalized marketing should undergo even more profound transformations in the coming decade, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to forge deeper customer connections. With the ability to glean insights from vast amounts of data, companies will craft highly tailored ads and messages that resonate with individual preferences and behaviors, fostering stronger brand-consumer relationships. From dynamic content customization to predictive marketing algorithms, the era of hyper-personalization will redefine how businesses engage with their target audiences on a one-to-one level. Advanced Device Communication The proliferation of voice-enabled devices and virtual assistants heralds a new era in consumer engagement, requiring marketers to adapt their strategies to communicate effectively through these mediums. As voice technology continues to gain traction, companies must anticipate the rise of voice commerce and tailor their approaches to accommodate this emerging trend. By leveraging conversational AI and natural language processing, brands can deliver seamless, personalized experiences that resonate with consumers, whether shopping, seeking information, or interacting with digital assistants. Wider Use of Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) is poised to become a ubiquitous tool in the marketer's arsenal, offering immersive experiences that transcend traditional advertising methods. With VR, brands can transport consumers into captivating virtual environments where they can interact with products and services unprecedentedly, fostering deeper engagement and brand loyalty. As VR technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, expect to see a proliferation of immersive marketing campaigns that leverage the power of virtual experiences to captivate audiences and drive conversions.

The Power of Storytelling

12 Mar, 2024
Marketing tends to focus on analytics and systems, but we sometimes forget about one powerful tool that has existed since the beginning: storytelling. From our ancestors telling ancient myths to be passed down for the generations to come to modern-day brand narratives, stories have held the power to inspire and connect in all different ways. Today, consumers face a constant bombardment of advertisements and catered content; using the power of storytelling in marketing campaigns has become critical for businesses, especially smaller firms aiming to create meaningful connections with their target clients. Why Storytelling is an Effective Strategy When a brand uses storytelling to convey its message, it connects with the audience emotionally. By telling a compelling story, marketers can create a memorable experience for consumers, making them more likely to remember and engage with the brand. Additionally, storytelling allows marketers to communicate the brand's values and personality more authentically. Instead of bombarding consumers with sales pitches, storytelling enables brands to share their stories and build trust with their audience, increasing brand loyalty and customer engagement. The Emotional Resonance of Stories At the heart of storytelling lies its ability to bring out emotions and create profound connections on a human level. Unlike traditional marketing messages focusing solely on product features or sales pitches, stories can engage the audience's imagination, stir empathy, and spark genuine interest. By weaving narratives that resonate with their target audience's hopes, dreams, and challenges, small marketing firms can create a powerful emotional bond that transcends transactional relationships. Building Brand Identity and Authenticity Storytelling is a potent tool for small businesses to authentically define and express their brand identity. Through compelling narratives that reflect their values, mission, and vision, small firms can differentiate themselves from competitors and carve out a distinct identity in the minds of consumers. Whether recounting the founder's journey, highlighting customer success stories, or showcasing the company's commitment to social responsibility, storytelling allows small businesses to humanize their brand and foster customer trust and loyalty.

A Guide to Employee-Generated Content

13 Feb, 2024
In a world of "influencer marketing" and brand deals, companies can easily overspend their marketing budgets and get caught up in the frenzy. An influencer may feature your product or brand only for their videos to perform poorly. At best, you lose out on the money spent sending the product to the influencer and whatever you spent on hiring them. At worst, your business gets a bad reputation online, and customers don't take your brand seriously. Consider that influencer marketing is just the "shiny new toy" in marketing. In that case, companies should continue to produce consistent, cost-effective outcome. One source for this? Your Employees. Employee-generated content refers to any videos, pictures, or copy that employees publicly post about their position and the company. Find out the benefits of employee-generated content (EGC), what this content can look like, and how to implement EGC into your overall strategy. What Does Employee-Generated Content Look Like? The beauty of employee-generated content is that it can take many forms. Any content your employees make that involves details about their role, the company itself, or the relationships they've developed with coworkers or customers/clients can be EGC. A simple, straightforward EGC piece can be an employee spotlight for new hires or veteran employees. You can choose to craft employee spotlights as infographics with a picture of the employee along with some fun facts about them, write a long-form piece from an interview with the employee speaking about their time at the company, or even long or short-form videos with the employee speaking on their experiences. While these methods may require the help of a graphic designer, copywriter, or videographer, the idea is that the employees generate the content by speaking about their experiences and introducing themselves. Other ideas for EGC pieces might be "day in the life" videos following a specific employee throughout their day, reflections employees have from conferences or professional development opportunities, employment milestones or recognitions, or even just pictures employees take with each other or showing what happened that day. There are limitless options and iterations for employee-generated content, and the key is to find out what works well for your business and why.
More Posts
Share by: