Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan
Jen Jordan brings a wealth of life and leadership experiences to her writing. After 10 years creating a variety of content for a nonprofit, Jen decided to establish her own writing business. She specializes in creating high quality blog and website content for small businesses. When she's not writing, Jen is a competitive triathlete with a goal of completing a triathlon in all 50 states.
| |
3 Reasons Google Reviews Are Critical for Small BusinessesWhen was the last time you purchased something online and did not read a single product review or rating? Most of us cannot fathom purchasing without first reading about other people’s experiences. (Perhaps we have Amazon to thank for this phenomenon.) Ninety-seven percent of consumers say they regularly read reviews before choosing to work with a business! Positive reviews are so valuable that some companies resort to purchasing Google reviews! This is certainly not an advisable practice, and the consequences are serious (Google can take down business listings of guilty companies). However, this does highlight just how essential and valuable Google reviews are in nearly every industry. Reviews have incredible power and value, yet only 36% of small business owners invest in “review marketing” or have a system to gather positive reviews and mitigate negative ratings. Here are three reasons you should spend more time, energy, and resources getting Google reviews for your business. 1) Reviews affect Google’s SEO algorithm Google uses reviews as part of its algorithm for search engine optimization (SEO). Google trusts what your customers say more than it believes what you write on your website. Google uses a variety of methods to look for signs of “endorsement” or “trust.” In the early days of SEO, Google’s algorithm placed a high value on links from other websites. Their algorithm is continually evolving, but it sees ratings and reviews as a type of endorsement and rewards businesses that have more endorsements with better visibility. 2) Reviews level the SEO and advertisement playing field for small businesses Small businesses usually can’t compete very well in the war of expensive marketing campaigns. Still, they might have a slight advantage over larger companies when it comes to getting great reviews! Expensive advertisements are not as influential when it comes to local online search results. As we noted previously, Google’s algorithm for SEO favors reviews. It doesn’t care about the size of the business. The business that takes advantage of Google reviews usually ranks higher in local search results. If Google believes the local market provides a better grocery shopping experience than the chain grocery store (based on customer reviews), then the local grocer will likely rank higher in the local searches. 3) Reviews create a “feedback loop” with your customers Positive and negative reviews on Google let you know what your business does well and alerts you to areas that need improvement. Reading and responding to Google reviews can build trust with current and potential customers. Thank your customers publicly for positive reviews and respond quickly to negative reviews to try to remedy the situation. Customers are interested in seeing how you respond to negative feedback. Even a “one-star” review can turn into an excellent opportunity to showcase excellent customer care and turn a bad situation around quickly. This is much easier for small, local businesses to do than large corporations! Businesses that have a strategy to gather positive reviews from their customers can boost their online reputation, improve their “user-generated content,” and even increase their on-site conversions. Whether your business uses a reputation management tool or you handle things yourself, this is one area of marketing where a little can go a long way, but ignoring it can be disastrous. It is more important than ever for businesses to invest resources and energy into maintaining a strong online reputation and gathering positive Google reviews. Resources: https://www.podium.com/google-reviews/5-advantages-google-reviews/ https://www.theleverageway.com/blog/do-google-reviews-help-rankings-seo/ https://www.podium.com/online-reviews/online-reviews-worth/ https://www.reviewtrackers.com/blog/buy-google-reviews/ |
|