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What Is the Impact of Reviews on Local Google Search Rankings?

What Is the Impact of Reviews on Local Google Search Rankings?

Reviews have a powerful impact on Google search rankings. They might be the most crucial metrics you can monitor for local SEO! This blog will explain the impact of reviews on local Google search SEO rankings and how you can utilize them.

  • What is local SEO?
  • How do reviews help with local SEO?
  • How do reviews affect local SEO?
  • How can one get reviews?
  • How can one deal with bad reviews?
  • Conclusion: Local reviews are key.

Local SEO: What is it exactly?

Local SEO refers to the SEO outcomes for a specific area nearby. For instance, if you own a restaurant and residents are looking for the type of food you serve, your company will appear in their search results!

The question here is; do reviews affect Google search rankings, then? 

When people live close to your physical store location, it is undoubtedly one of the main factors influencing their ability to research your company and contact you. As a result, the answer is yes; reviews severely affect local SEO rankings. 

How do reviews help with local SEO?

While there are many ways to enhance the overall SEO profile of your website, getting local reviews and strengthening your local SEO profile are two of the most effective ways to increase local traffic and business.

Social proof, local SEO promotion, and Google reviews enhance your website’s online visibility. When combined with word-of-mouth and global conditions, reviews are a powerful indicator of your business’s health.

87% of customers look for local businesses online for reviews. 97% use online media to research goods or services in their area. Hence, their interactions with your website are crucial.

Reviews are unique content that can be hosted on your Google business profile or main website. They are also important for general SEO reasons. This implies that you gain the confidence of those around you because you received favorable reviews!

How do reviews affect local SEO?

After hearing this question, the only word that pops into our minds is ‘significantly.’ According to a survey on local search ranking factors, reviews play a role in 18% of search engine decision-making for local SEO. Indeed a sizeable number! 

Well, that’s not all. However, there are many more obvious advantages when considering how reviews assist with local SEO. A few of these benefits are clarified below. 

  • Getting four or five stars on a Google review-
    • Increases click-throughs
    • Delivers more targeted traffic to your main website 
    • Encourages and fosters growth
  • Having high reviews on your site means increased trust in the eyes of Google. As a result, Google will consider you while ranking. 
  • Reviews get you approved by the local customers as well! When you have positive reviews on your website, Google will trust you more, improving your SEO rankings. As a result, you will also get approved by the Local customers.
  • An online review is trusted by 7 out of 10 customers. Hence, it clearly demonstrates its value.

Reviews can be found immediately on your Google Business Profile, giving nearby clients a quick overview of your company and how many people have interacted with it. This profile impacts your company’s appearance on the local Map Pack and your local SERP. In fact, Google has admitted that reviews also impact Google search rankings, demonstrating the relevance of reviews for local SEO rankings.

Local Map Pack

Google uses the Local Map Pack to present a list of close-by businesses. This window usually contains-

  • The company names of various businesses 
  • Customer testimonials for their goods and services
  • A summary of their offerings
  • Contact details, including address, phone number, and website
  • Directions to the location of the business

Local SERPs

  • Search engine results pages, or SERPs, are essential for displaying only your desired information. 
  • When you search for “Corner Store,” only local businesses close to you are displayed in their profiles.
  • Although the information in the map pack and SERPs is similar, SERPs are the query results and give the map pack the data it needs to operate.

Learn more about our local SEO services and how we can increase your sales with strategies designed specifically for your company and location!

How can one get reviews?

Creating a great product and providing exceptional customer service are the two easiest ways to get reviews. Offering the best service attainable in addition to a fantastic product is a surefire way to increase your rating over time.

Additionally, you can ask for ratings from people. It’s possible to significantly alter your algorithmic ranking by offering modest incentives. A candy jar with a straightforward sign above can be used as an example. 

You can also run a social media page and request the same thing; people typically like to support local businesses and frequently leave reviews in response to a Facebook post requesting it. Additionally, since reviews aid in local SEO, it is worthwhile to inquire about them. 

How can one deal with bad reviews?

You can’t please everyone all the time. Negative reviews are common and to be expected, regardless of whether the reviewer is having a bad day, you make an error, or something else occurs to leave a bad impression. It would be best to ignore negative reviews because they impact local SEO. 

To address negative reviews, start by responding to them. You will become more genuine if you interact with your audience, and more people will be willing to show understanding. This significantly boosts your credibility because it demonstrates that you care about your customers and that actual people run your company.

In the end, demonstrating your concern for your clients is one of the most crucial things you can do to enhance social proof, enhance your brand’s perception, and persuade more nearby clients that you’re eager to meet their needs. We are sure you’ll be much better able to navigate negative reviews if you do this!

Conclusion: Local Reviews Are Key

Small businesses depend on local traffic. Well, the best way to increase local traffic is to encourage, curate, and respond to reviews of all kinds. As you already know, reviews also impact local SEO rankings, so taking care of them will make your business more visible.

By investing time in reviews, you can gain more and more trust from Google and local customers. It is undoubtedly one of the most crucial ways to optimize your website’s SEO. 

Jay is an SEO Specialist with five years of experience, specializing in digital marketing, HTML, keyword optimization, meta descriptions, and Google Analytics. A proven track record of executing high-impact campaigns to enhance the online presence of emerging brands. Adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams and clients to refine content strategy. Currently working at Tecuy Media.