Your reputation matters. If you keep letting your customers down, they’re pretty unlikely to keep buying from you — and they might even let other people know just how unreliable you are too.
And they have plenty of ways to do that, including online review sites and social media. But how do online reviews affect your SEO campaign?
Let’s take a closer look …
The Impact on Conversion Rates
Sharing your experience of a company’s service takes just a minute or two, but can influence other customers’ decisions for years to come. Businesses actually lose $75 billion a year to bad customer service, and negative reviews can pile up easily.
Still, not every customer will give you a bad review — unless you’re doing something seriously wrong! Good reviews help to build trust in consumers and increase the likelihood of netting conversions.
A recommendation on a reputable review site could give a prospect the information they need to go through with a purchase, especially when they’re close to that part of their journey.
Extra Fresh Content
Both good and bad reviews generate fresh content for your brand. Search engines will have more content to read and index related to your site, helping refine its understanding of your company.
If customers talk about your products or services explicitly, they’re actually helping to connect these to your brand name too. Reviewers can help your SEO campaign a little by doing this, without even realizing!
Adding customer reviews to your site means a regular influx of new content, while people leaving links in off-site reviews is another key benefit.
Taking the Time to Talk
Always respond to online reviews, even if only to say ‘thank you’. Engaging with customers’ feedback and addressing any concerns they raise shows you actually value their opinion.
People want to see that you discuss issues buyers bring up and don’t shy away from claiming responsibility for mistakes. Your response to a bad review can win favor with prospects, demonstrating your brand’s commitment to your customers.
They could still click through to your site and go ahead with a purchase based on your intelligent comments.
Make sure you encourage reviews too, across your website and social media. The more mentions of your business that are generated, the better your visibility will be.
Don’t Forget About Google My Business Reviews
Google My Business listings give customers contact details and a star-based rating for your brand, according to people’s reviews.
This will appear on Google Maps and result pages, helping your organic rankings along with reviews elsewhere.
Nett Solutions’ Orange County digital marketing experts are here to help boost your online presence with a bespoke SEO campaign — want to know more? Get in touch!