Yes, reviews matter and can impact your search rankings and general SEO efforts in a big way. Although there are other factors for ranking, reviews let search engines know that your business can be trusted. In addition to letting the search engines know you are significant; it lets your customers and potential customers know how well you run your business and how popular the community thinks you are.
Reviews are packed with keywords that tell Google a wealth of information about your business. If a customer searches pain management doctor, there is a high likelihood of you ranking if Google sees those keywords in a review left by a patient. In addition to the keywords associated with your business, reviews build trust that result in conversations. After all what good is showing up on Google if your review rating is poor.
Reputation Arm can help you generate the reviews you are looking for. In addition to using our dashboard we can share with you good practices that our clients use that help them generate more Google reviews. Don’t be afraid to ask for a review. Most customers have the intention of leaving a review. Following up with a review campaign from Reputation Arm will help you get the reviews you deserve.
Log into your Google My business listing and fill out all fields that Google gives you. This includes your business address, business hours, category, service area, order online url, appointment url, booking urls. Google also allows you to create products and services. Make sure you upload photos, current logos and exterior photos. Videos also available for upload. Make sure to include as many keywords as possible in your about the business area and throughout other areas where possible. Remember the more data you provide the better Google gets to know your business.
Managing your reputation online should not be an afterthought. In today’s aggressive digital world most customers are finding businesses on their mobile smart devices. In a matter of seconds current and potential customers can view your online presence. You have seconds to capture their attention and have them engage with your listing. Answering reviews, posting on Google and uploading new photos for them to view all enhance the reputation of your business. The longer you can keep the user engaged the better your chances of ranking on Google. Managing your online presence builds a professional image, ranks you higher with search engines, allows the business owner to correct misleading information or immediately address a disgruntled customer. Combined these best practices builds trust.
Answering Google reviews both positive and negative play an important role in reputation management and is extremely beneficial. Studies have shown that businesses that answer more than 20% of their reviews earn more revenue than average. Engaging with your customers through reviews shows potential customers that you are an active business that cares thus resulting in confidence and reducing doubt. Not only are you showing customers you care you are showing Google you care.
A local citation is any online mention of the name, address, and phone number (NAP) for a local business. Citations can occur on local business directories, on websites and apps, and on social platforms. Citations help Internet users to discover local businesses and can also impact local search engine rankings.
Local citations can influence your local search engine rankings positively or negatively. The number of citations / directories a local business acquires can influence rankings. However, the accuracy and consistency of the data and the quality of the platforms they are created on all play a factor. Search engines like Google and Yahoo crawl data about each business. If the data is accurate and consistent, the search engine trusts the validity of the data, which then results in better search ranking.