Using Online Reviews to Boost SEO

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.