Panoptic Online Marketing

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • SERVICES
    • WORDPRESS WEBSITES
    • SEO STARTER PACKAGE
    • MONTHLY MARKETING PACKAGES
    • CONTENT MARKETING
    • EMAIL MARKETING
    • PAID SEARCH (PPC) ADVERTISIING
    • SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

5 Ways Online Reviews Help Your Local SEO and Your Business

Oct 27, 2016 By Redge Estebat

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

online-reviews-help-local-seoWhen we talk about optimizing for Local SEO, getting reviews from customers has always been one of the MUST-DO things that every business should include in their marketing strategy.  But how important are reviews to your business?  Here are five ways online reviews can help.

1 – Reviews can boost your ranking

According to MOZ’s 2015 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, “reviews signals” are thought to make up 8.4% of the ranking factor used by Google and other search engines.  That is a big percentage that affects where your business shows up in the search result.

Google also made it clear that the quality and quantity of reviews that a website has plays a part in determining local SEO ranking. The help section of the Google My Business Page states:

                “Google review count and score are factored into local search ranking: more reviews and positive ratings will probably improve a business’s local ranking”

2 – Reviews increase sale conversion

Online reviews have been known to increase sales for many businesses.  In a survey by Brightlocal, 92% of consumers read reviews for local businesses and 40% of them form an opinion by reading just one to three reviews.  That’s a big leap compared to last year’s figures of 88% and 29%, respectively.

online-review-stat
So, how does this translate to sales?  Well, many consumers read reviews at the point of sale and make a purchase decision then and there, based on what they read. They are also more likely to visit your website and/or your store and buy your product after reading positive reviews.  A 2012 report published by Reevoo documented how reviews produce an average of 18% uplift in sales, and 50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates.

3 – Reviews generate additional long-term marketing materials

There is no better marketing than testimonials from satisfied customers.  The number of customers who leave reviews and positive comments when they are happy with a purchase continues to increase year over years. This gives businesses a constant stream of positive messages that they can share on their website and social channels going forward.

4 – Reviews help you understand your customers

loyal-customersOnline reviews are a great ways to better understand your customers and find out how you can improve your product and services.  Customers often share what they love or hate about a business, its services or products, and sometimes they offer suggestions. Listening to this feedback can help you determine what you’re doing right and which areas need improvement.

5 – Reviews build customer trust

Not all reviews are going to be positive, but how you handle reviews, good or bad, is what will make the difference to your business.  While consumers hold positive reviews and higher ratings in high regard, many also take into consideration how a business handles negative reviews. In fact, 68% consumers are more likely to trust reviews with both positive and negative scores. Also, 18% of consumers who leave a negative review are often turned into loyal repeat costumers after receiving a response from the brand or business.

Are you ignoring your online reviews?

You may not be actively collecting reviews from your customers/clients, but chances are some of them have already found your listing on various review sites and are leaving comments about their experiences.  Some may even be sharing their comments across social networks.  Don’t let any positive feedback go wasted! Negative comments that go unanswered can create a bad reputation for your business.  Good or bad, reviews can be useful if you know how to benefit from them.

Additional reading about online reviews:

  • How to Improve Your Local Search Ranking Using Online Reviews
  • 3 Ways to Collect More Online Customer Reviews
  • How To Deal With Bad Reviews Of Your Business Online
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Related posts:

  1. Local SEO for Small Business
  2. 7 Steps to Optimizing your Business Website for Specific Locations
  3. 5 Ways to Improve Your Local Ranking with Google My Business
  4. What Local Citations Means for Your Business’ Online Presence
Previous: 5 Ways to Improve Your Local Ranking with Google My Business
Next: 8 Ways to be SEO Ready in 2017

Filed Under: Local SEO

FREE SEO AUDIT

Free one-hour consultation and SEO Audit Report for qualified business website owners. Get in touch today!

From the Blog…

  • How to Boost Reach and Engagement Using Visual Content
  • 8 Ways to be SEO Ready in 2017
  • 5 Ways Online Reviews Help Your Local SEO and Your Business
  • 5 Ways to Improve Your Local Ranking with Google My Business
  • How Partnerships Expand Capabilities and Benefit Everyone

Read More About…

  • B2B
  • Blogging & Content Marketing
  • Case Studies
  • Email Marketing
  • Inbound Marketing
  • Local SEO
  • Mobile Marketing
  • PPC
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Social Media Marketing

Customer Testimonials

"Panoptic guided our non profit through both technical and organizational transitions, most recently bringing our website into the 21st century and raising our profile in the educational and independent media world." -- Greta Schiller, Director, Jezebel Productions

"If I need a website re-designed or created for Wordpress, I'm calling Panoptic again. Customer service is foremost. They aren't satisfied with the end product until you are." -- Greg Miller, Owner, Intelireach Marketing (White Label Client)

"Melissa and the Panoptic team were an important part of the SEO process during the development of the new Morvillo Abramowitz website." -- Paula Zirinsky, Marketing Director at Morvillo Abramowitz

"Panoptic has been instrumental in helping my company launch a successful social media campaign. Any time someone found my services on the web and booked them, it was Panoptic’s work that got them there!" -- Gina Bradley, Owner, Paddle Diva

More testimonials on LinkedIn.

From the Blog

How to Boost Reach and Engagement Using Visual Content

By Redge Estebat

Creating and sharing visual content has been a marketing trend for several years now and it’s not about to fade anytime soon.  In fact, it has now become a MUST for any businesses that wants to be noticed on the internet.  These statistics testify to … Continue reading →

How Can We Help You?

  • WordPress Websites
  • Monthly SEO and Internet Marketing Packages
  • Content Marketing & Business Blogging
  • Email Marketing
  • Paid Search (PPC) Advertising
  • Social Media Marketing

Follow Us

Facebooktwitterlinkedinrssby feather

FREE SEO AUDIT REPORT

Free one-hour consultation and SEO Audit Report for qualified business website owners. Get in touch today!

Panoptic Online Marketing, LLC © 2016. All rights reserved. Site Map

353 West 48th Street, #328, New York, NY 10036

40 West Hills Road, Ivoryton, CT 06442