People use the Internet more than ever to find information on a local business. Location, hours, phone number, reviews; you name it and people desire the info.
Though reviews especially are becoming a big selling point for your online presence.
An astounding 88 percent of people trust these online reviews as much as in-person recommendations.
Those aren’t bad odds, at all. Getting your local business in front of online consumers is vital to increasing your chances of growth.
Today, we’re showing you how to do just that. Any company that can successfully utilize Google’s review platform, Google Business reviews, is destined to thrive.
Google Business Reviews & SEO
Your Google Business reviews, like anything Google, factor into your SEO ranking. In fact, your reviews affect your SEO a lot.
The better your SEO, the more visible your brand, and the better your growth.
To name just a few review factors Google SEO takes into account:
- Review Quantity – More reviews mean more content to help users.
- Keywords – Keywords in your reviews will help your business rank in the 3-pack.
- Review Velocity – Google wants reviews over time. It shows them you’re still popular.
- Reviewer Influence – Google takes into account how influential the reviewer is. Aka, how trustworthy they are.
So how do you make sure your reviews hit these categories? First and foremost, don’t write your own reviews.
Faking reviews is the best way to get on Google’s bad side. They can and will bury your SEO results.
The rest of your strategy should revolve around obtaining organic Google Business reviews.
This isn’t as hard as it sounds and does more than just boost your SEO. Keep on reading to learn more…
Review Incentives
Business do well offering incentives to people who write reviews. It’s organic content that you can actually influence.
We’re breaking down our two favorite ways you can use incentives to boost your Google Business reviews.
Contests
Run some simple contests where your customers have to write a Google review to enter.
It’s easy, and you can even set stipulations. For instance, reviewers must include a keyword that you provide.
Now you’re building your SEO, and getting good organic press about your business in front of potential customers.
Free Products
Another great way to drum up some reviews is through offering free products. Like contests, you can add stipulations before shipping out merchandise.
Though don’t abuse this practice too much. People want free stuff, but Google doesn’t want to see tons of reviews at once.
Also, you’ll want to tell customers when it’s appropriate to mention they received free products.
The FTC endorsement guidelines state that customers who receive free products in exchange for reviews should always disclose these endorsements.
Technically, reviews are endorsements. Take care not to create a conflict of interest.
Summing It Up…
Using Google Business reviews for growth is all about leveraging organic content to boost your online reputation and SEO.
If you can accomplish both things, you should see your local business presence skyrocket.
When you want to increase your business visibility and growth, you need help from the best.
Our marketing team has tons of experience taking local business from unknown to talk of the town. And we do it all online.
Get in contact with us to learn more.
