fbpx

How Do Google Reviews Affect SEO?

In the digital industry, it is no secret that Google reviews have immense power to influence consumers. However, many people do not realise that Google reviews can also influence your SEO. In this blog, we will explain how Google reviews affect your SEO.

Written by

Amnah Bibi

February 2023

What are Google reviews, and why do they matter?

Google reviews are a feature on Google where customers can leave feedback on businesses they have interacted with. These reviews are visible to anyone who searches for the business on Google. They are a way for potential customers to assess the quality of the business based on previous customer experiences and reviews.

They are important for businesses because they are proof that the business is reputable and trustworthy. They can help convert online shoppers into online word-of-mouth sales and loyal returning customers. These online recommendations reflect directly on the business and should be monitored closely to avoid losing potential customers due to bad reviews.

How ratings and reviews can benefit your SEO:

Google reviews can benefit your SEO by providing fresh and relevant content for search engines to crawl. Reviews can include keywords related to your business, and having a large number of positive reviews can increase your business’s visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs)

Additionally, Google uses reviews as a factor in determining a business’s overall rating, which can impact your website or business rankings in SERPs. This is the Google reviews SEO impact.

Why are Google reviews important after COVID-19?

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how consumers interact with businesses with many businesses resorting to opening online stores to improve sales over the COVID period.

With the shift towards online shopping and services, reviews have become even more critical. Customers want to feel confident that they are making the right choice, and reviews can provide that assurance, especially when in-person sales are limited.

How can Google ratings or reviews benefit your SEO?

To understand the ways Google Reviews help SEO and improve your rankings on search engine results pages.

Increased visibility: The more positive reviews a business has, the higher it will rank on Google’s search results, increasing its visibility.

Increased trust and credibility: Positive reviews are proof that your business is reputable and trustworthy. This can increase the likelihood of potential customers choosing your business over your competitors.

Fresh and relevant content: Reviews provide valuable, user-generated content that search engines can crawl, improving the overall SEO of the website.

 

How to remove a review from Google?

If you receive a negative or fake review, you may be wondering how to remove it. Unfortunately, Google only removes reviews that violate their review policies, such as reviews that are considered spam or include hate speech. If you believe a review violates Google’s policies, you can report it for removal. However, removing a legitimate review is unlikely to occur.

We encourage responding and working to resolve any legitimate bad reviews this shows accountability and initiative to your audience. It also builds trust with your potential customers and can help improve the ranking of your business.

Does responding to Google reviews help SEO?

It is both good industry practice and a helpful SEO strategy. It is important to respond to reviews so you can show your business cares about their concerns or that you are grateful when responding to positive feedback. You can do this while using keywords to improve your search rankings as long as it is relevant and appropriate.

How to leave a Google review?

Once you find a business profile on Google you can, scroll and add a rating and review under the Google business profile that appears on the right side of the search engine results pages. Alternatively, if you want to encourage others to leave a Google review you can provide a Google review link.

It is important to note although you can encourage customers to leave a review, you can not buy Google reviews from customers as this is against the guidelines.

What should you write in a Google Review?

When writing a Google review, it’s essential to be specific about the experience you had with the business. Mention what you liked, didn’t like, and why you would recommend the business to others. Including specific details and anecdotes can also make your review more helpful to potential customers. You can add images and videos that can further improve the credibility of your review.

How to get Google Reviews:

Ask customers directly: After completing a transaction or service, ask your customers to leave a review.

Include a review link on your website: Make it easy for customers to leave a review by including a link on your website.

Follow up with customers via email: After a transaction or service, follow up with customers via email, thanking them for their business and asking for a review.

Incentivise reviews: Offer a discount or reward for leaving a review, but be sure to follow Google’s guidelines to avoid being penalised.

Local SEO Geogrid: 
Here is the visual representation of what improving your local SEO can do for your business. Improve your SEO rankings with an optimised Google Business Profile and a variety of Google reviews and ratings. Increase your local reach and improve the online representation of your business on Google using reviews and ratings.

Increase your local reach and improve the online representation of your business on Google using reviews and ratings.

In conclusion, Google reviews are a powerful tool for businesses to improve their SEO and attract more customers. By encouraging positive reviews and responding to negative ones, businesses can build trust and credibility with potential customers while incorporating keywords where applicable.

What we do

We provide a range of services to our clients, tailored to meet their specific needs.