Previously, online reviews were just a background feature on the website or a business page. With digitalization, search engines such as Google have evolved – and continue to do so – to execute updates. This way they can showcase the most valuable information to the user. One of these advancements is online reviews.
Google said in 2016 that they would be adding web reviews to the Local Knowledge Panel. So, when someone searches on Google, they’ll find customer reviews more prominent than ever.
Businesses went crazy after this announcement as they require to optimize their websites to rank on the Google search engines. Only top-rank SEO services will help companies to rank high on Google search engines.
What are Reviews From The Web?
Google extracts review information from famous websites to show in your knowledge panel. The knowledge panel is the information box for your business on google search engine results. Reviews from the web feature your google reviews at the top of the box, right below your business name. However, visitors can also see reviews of other websites of similar businesses while looking up yours.
How Does Google Find Reviews From The Web?
Reviews from the web are auto-generated by Google itself. However, it needs a few adjustments from the back end of your website to aid Google to find reviews efficiently and effortlessly. It is done by pointing Google in the direction of review sites that fall into your business category. For instance, if you’re running a gym, Google may reference those fitness or health sites on which your business is listed.
Some resources are so specific about any type of business, like Facebook. Google takes advantage of this universal source for the base of its section called “Reviews From The Web’. Even niche-specific review sites are available, making search results more customized to every user’s unique need.
How this Google Update Impacts Local SEO Marketing?
well, there’s nothing much to bother you. If your local SEO campaign is already working on generating reviews. Then you’re all set to pull reviews by Google. However, where you need to focus is generating good reviews. It is what is noteworthy and makes any difference. Always ensure to work on your reviews to give google more obvious information.
If your website is lacking review options, then, it would be a perfect time to start getting them- It’s never too late. The SEO expert can help you to enhance your ratings and reviews for local search rankings.
How to prioritize your review-generating efforts?
Put your efforts into the top three sites that appear on each search or multiple searches. Now, prioritize the top one where you got no less than a stellar rating. These are the potential websites where most customers will go and learn about your business. Therefore, Here you need to invest your efforts to boost your ratings. Moreover, prioritize the websites that appear while you search for your business name on Google. Usually, anyone looking for reviews of your business falls under any one of the three categories:
1. They want to take your product or services and look for the previous customer’s experience.
2. They want to be a part of your business. Therefore they are looking for reviews to figure out if it is worth being a part of your business.
3. They are disappointed after using your product or service and want to complain publicly.
Why You Should Take Notice Of Online Reviews?
If you have an online presence for a business, you should not only diligently notice these reviews but also encourage the customers to write a review. In the fast, easy, and convenient online shopping world, putting pictures of the products with complete descriptions isn’t enough
to attract a customer to spend money on your product.
The customer wants to get the same experience as they get while shopping physically. They want to feel the product online. How do you do this? Well, time to up your persuasion game. It is not much difficult. You only need to pay attention to customer reviews.
Here we’ve three types of reviews affecting customers buying decisions.
1. Reviews affect search engine rankings:
Among more than 200 ranking factors, reviews stand as the top most crucial ranking factor. Positive reviews are a sign of the reliability and trustworthiness of your business.
2. Reviews influence customers:
Reviews enable a potential buyer to know more about a product and influence their purchasing decision.
3. Reviews provide insights:
Apart from Google and potential customers, reviews help a business identify areas for improvement. You can efficiently get the idea from customer reviews what they exactly think and want from your product.
Assess Your Current Reviews:
Now it is clear that you need to add customer reviews to your marketing strategy. But, what next?
First, gather and assess all the online reviews available for your products and services. Put them on a spreadsheet where the marketers of your business can access them. Ask them to distinguish between the positive and the negative reviews and write notes on them. By doing this, you’ll get an idea of where your product needs improvement and how to implement it.
The best platforms are Google, Yelp, and Facebook. All three are the best online platforms that showcase customer reviews. Moreover, it is also crucial to check your rating on other sites such as TripAdvisor, Yahoo Local, and Yell.com.
Respond to reviews:
Communicating is the strategy for running a successful business. Always ensure to respond to every review, whether good or bad. No response means no consideration toward the customers, which is not okay-at least not for your business’s success.
The most critical factor while responding to customer reviews is that they are from real people. Therefore, you should be empathetic and careful while answering a review. You should never hurt your customer’s feelings with your reply.
There may be a case when a customer is angry and disappointed. Here you need to be sympathetic and understanding to tackle the situation. It is not necessary that whatever your customer is saying is 100% correct. You don’t need to agree with it. Still, You should be positive to attract thousands of other customers who are eyeing your customer service.
The same is the case for a good review. A customer takes out time to appreciate your products and services. Now it’s your turn to acknowledge their efforts and thank them for this generous act.
Also Read: The Importance of Security in a 345k Restworld
Conclusion:
Reviews play a crucial role in the return on investment. It makes a buyer decide on a particular product over the other, as they can compare multiple products and services online. Google also analyzes the fact and understands the importance of reviews. Since Google wants to provide value to its users. It always emphasizes reviews of the business before suggesting it to the user. The feature named “Reviews From The Web” has a significant impact on local SEO. It will encourage potential customers to decide wisely and read all the reviews before investing their money in a particular product or service. It also helps Entrepreneurs to track their areas of improvement and make cages according to customer preferences.
