Users typically read 5-10 reviews before they trust a business.
80 % read customer reviews when shopping online.
Approximately 92% of customers trust the opinions and recommendations shared by people.
Getting consistent, quality reviews can improve your marketing efforts and lead to more sales.
This article describes how to achieve this and how brands can use the power of reviews to their advantage.
Do customer reviews influence SEO?
For Google, word of mouth marketing is a trusted source of information.
Businesses actively encourage customer feedback, as high-star kazakhstan phone number list reviews attract attention from search engines.
Think of Google as a customer: Most users check reviews before purchasing a product or visiting a place. Google considers the quality and quantity of reviews to evaluate search position .
Since Google reviews and Google Maps are connected, getting consistent positive feedback makes a business more visible to search engines and increases its chances of getting into Google directories.
Google reviews are also great for local SEO as they increase your chances of being featured in the Google Local Pack. This is a directory of local brands that offer a product or service that the user is searching for.
Being included on such a list as one of the first suggestions can dramatically improve sales, especially for local business owners.
But how to appear there?
Quality reviews are one of the possible answers. According to this article , product reviews with ratings and stars are considered one of the most important factors influencing the local pack .
Six Ways Consumer Reviews Can Improve SEO
1. Rating factor in Google SEO ranking
Reviews have a real impact on SEO. Google trusts customers, so the information it gains from them is valuable to search engines.
When testimonials are visible, it becomes easier for customers to interact with the website and connect with the product.
Your rankings may decrease if you do not feed search engines with constant reviews .
2. Reviews can help target more keywords
Keyword research is a way to make reviews a source of organic traffic, especially if they are long-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords are keywords that include 3 or more words. Users often prefer to type a specific query.
For example, a visitor looking for a place to eat is more likely to Google “ Thai restaurant downtown ” rather than just “restaurants.”
It is true that long-tail keywords may generate less traffic, but targeted keywords win when it comes to conversion rates . They establish communication between the potential customer and the company, helping them find each other.
Having reviews on the page will help target more keywords, increasing the chances of a perfect match. If your business offers a service or product that the user is looking for, reviews will help them land on the page.
That's why you should include Google reviews on your website .
3. Reviews can increase website traffic
There are several reasons why user reviews can drive more organic traffic and attract potential customers.
The first reason is the density of the website content . Reviews add more text, so Google can consider your page when users make their queries. The search engine can consider the content that customers write as reliable and accurate information and show it among the first searches, bringing you closer to more potential customers.
Secondly, reviews are a way to diversify your content on the website , which can decrease the bounce rate. If visitors find the overall content of the page valuable, Google will notice, as search engine optimization aims to offer users the best experience possible.
4. Reviews can reduce bounce rate
The bounce rate shows how many users leave the website without exploring it beyond the page they landed on.
Bounce rate does not directly affect SEO. However, it can have an indirect impact: if the bounce rate is high, it can indicate a problem related to SEO. For example, look at how long it takes for the website to load, the design and quality of the content, the call to action, and whether the website is mobile-friendly.
While reducing bounce rate is a process that requires website and user analysis, proper review positioning can also help.
Reviews should be placed at the top of the page. This way, interested customers don't need to scroll too far to get the information they're looking for. Placed correctly, reviews can reduce bounce rates.
It doesn’t have to be a direct customer review, you can add stars, numbers of satisfied customers, and other metrics that can be helpful for users. You can even rate each product or make a list of the best products that can gain the user’s trust right away.
5. Reviews are a key quality indicator for those who may be considering your services
Get into the customer's head for a minute.
You’ve carefully guided the customer through the sales funnel to purchase. Everything is set up, and they find the product worth their while. However, they’ve never tried the brand’s product before.
What would be your final step in the decision-making process? Yes, reviews would most likely be the final push .
Let's look at another example. You're stuck deciding between two pretty good products. They're practically identical, with only a few differences. One product has over 20 reviews with images, and the other has two poorly written reviews. Even on a subconscio
