Recent research shows that 93% of online customers vet their decisions based off of Google reviews. Naturally, you should be inclined to shoot for reviews each time you do business with a customer. Why? Because in addition to helping support the credibility of your business, online reviews also improve search rankings. 

Here’s why:

Google Trusts Your Customers 

There’s a reason why the Google algorithm is constantly being updated – they value their users and want to give them the best search results. The authenticity behind reviews is something Google takes into high consideration. The more reviews you get, the more likely you will rank higher in the search results. 

Negative reviews can also be a successful addition to your SEO strategy. While the quality of reviews is important to your business, Google also considers the velocity and diversity of reviews. If you’re getting an influx of reviews from various sources, you can rest assured that your SEO is improving, even if all the reviews aren’t positive. 

Opportunities To Improve SEO Value

Responding to reviews can be a prime opportunity to provide additional SEO value for your business. Because Google is always looking to provide current and relevant information for their users, you can add important context to your reviews responses to boost search ranking. 

Here’s an example: You manage a cleaning and restoration company in Denver and a happy customer posts a glowing online review. You could respond, “We appreciate your great review! We’re committed to serving you, and are striving to be the best water damage restoration specialists we can be. If you need further help or have questions, feel free to contact us at our Denver office.” 

Take note of the keywords “water damage restoration” and “Denver” that were used in this response. This is a simple SEO strategy that brings additional relevant content to light and will improve your SEO value, especially for your local business listing on Google. 

Just a word of caution – don’t overdo it with the keywords in your responses. Doing so may result in your listing being penalized by Google for being “spammy.” If you do make this mistake, there’s no need to worry. You can add, edit and update your replies at any time. 

Let SOS Help You Make The Most of Your Online Reviews

At Spot On Solutions, we’re dedicated to helping you receive and manage reviews for your business. Our system not only allows you to send review invitations to your customers, but it also allows you to respond to reviews from multiple sites from a single platform. Talk about saving time and utilizing efficiency! If you’d like to learn more, click on the button below to set up a time to chat. We look forward to hearing from you!