You know online reviews are important for your business’ reputation – but did you know they can assist your SEO efforts as well?
Online reviews.
SEO.
Google.
Keywords.
Ranking.
Are you sick of these terms yet? Well, if you are a marketer or business owner, you need to embrace them. Whether you want them to or not, they have a lot of pull when it comes to your business’ success (especially in the online world – which some people may be more involved with on a regular basis than the actual real world).
Although the world of SEO is ever-changing, there are still habits to be made and key areas that will always be important (at least we think so). And let’s face it; being proactive in at least one of these areas is never going to have a negative impact on your online presence.
I’ve already talked about why online reviews are important for your business’ online reputation, what to do when you receive negative online reviews and how to properly respond to them, but have yet to cover another positive influence that online reviews can have for your business – an increase in your search engine optimization efforts.
Yes, it’s true. Having your customers do the work for you by writing reviews for your business will have a positive impact on your SEO—especially when it’s reported that reviews account for about 10% of your total ranking factors. Why? How? Let’s get into it.
Long Tail Keywords
Keywords are important determining factors for how consumers find your content on the web. What are they searching to reach your business? What needs or wants do they have that you provide the solution for? You should be aware of what keywords to be targeting in not only your paid search but also your organic search as well.
But besides using your own created content to drive consumers to find your business, online reviews can also help you in this component of SEO.
What exactly are long tail keywords, you ask? They are typically three-to-four word searches or phrases that visitors are typing in their search bar to look for what it is they want or need to purchase. Long tail keywords focus on consumers that are later in the buying journey (typically BOFU, or bottom of funnel leads) and know specifically what they are looking for.
Since reviewers have already purchased from or had an experience with your company, it is likely that they will be mentioning some of your long tail keywords in their review – which will help when other consumers are searching for solutions or products for those same phrases. Not only will it bring them to your company, but also show that you are a reputable and reliable source for their need.
Relevant & Recent Content
Piggy-backing off of long tail keywords, online reviews also contribute relevant content on the web about your business and continuously give the internet recent content about your company as well.
Sure, perhaps you are constantly creating new blog articles, lead magnets or web pages with good keywords and relevant content, but reviews will do this for you in addition to your own work – and without any effort! When someone else is writing content for you and about you, it will improve your rankings as well as improve your online review rating. What’s better than that?
Increase in Traffic
Consumer searches for something they need.
Consumer clicks on review website to find the best company to provide what they are looking for.
Consumer finds your company as highest-ranked with the most recent reviews.
Consumer goes to your website.
It’s pretty simple, right? So why wouldn’t you work on increasing your online review presence when it’ll drive more potential customers to your website?
Besides getting more leads coming on your site – websites with higher traffic receive better relevancy scores for their SEO. If people are searching and clicking through to your site more often, then Google sees that as “good” and will increase your ranking.
Visibility on Review Sites
This one is a no-brainer.
Achieve more online reviews, and show up more on review sites.
If you are looking for Thai food and go to Yelp and type in “Thai” in your area, what are you going to see first? The restaurant with the most reviews or highest ranking – it’s that simple.
The more reviews you have, the more you will show up not only in regular searches but in peoples’ searches on particular review websites as well. And when roughly 85% of consumers reported reading online reviews and about 67% of them read 6 reviews or less before they form an opinion about a given business – you want your business showing up as an option.
So why delay collecting online reviews when they can help so much? Speak to a CallSource representative today to see how we can help you increase your online presence with great reviews.
