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Why Reviews Matter

By December 7, 2022August 22nd, 2023Digital Marketing

5 Reasons Why Google Reviews Matter

Online reviews represent roughly 15% of overall search ranking factors. Start generating them today.

Five Reasons to have positive reviews on Google

1

Google is ultimately the largest matchmaker ever.

A core goal for Google is to match searches with search results that are hyper-relevant and immediately local. The websites need to be safe, easy to navigate and demonstrate good standing in their local markets.  Google’s prolonged dominance over other search engines requires it to consistently succeed in this match making role.  According to Google, “High quality, positive reviews from your customers will improve your business’ visibility…”.
2

81% to 91% of customers read reviews before purchasing

Depending on which study you read, anywhere from 81% to 91% of customers reported on reading reviews before making a purchase. The number of eyeballs this translates into simply demands that Google prioritizes the existence of reviews on a website, factor in number of reviews, and average star rating.
3

Zero-click searches are on the rise.

An article on Search Engine Land suggests that approximately 65% of Google searches end without the user clicking into a site. This means they are using the information displayed in the original Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Star rating is among this critical information displayed.
4

Rank position and Review relationship

A recent article on Search Engine Journal (SEJ) noted a study by SEMrush which focused on the “Local Pack” for more than 5,000 businesses, which found the average star rating to be 4.1. The business in the number one position on average had more positive reviews than those in positions 2 and 3.
5

Achieve a greater share of rank

The local map pack features three Google Business Profiles that are deemed by google to be the most relevant and beneficial for the local consumer. This emphasizes the star rating along with easy access to review content. It is generally accepted that local pack (aka Map Pack) rankings are strongly influenced by Google Business Profile pages and these pages prominently display ratings and reviews. It is not uncommon for a business to 2 in the Map Pack than in the general local organic rankings.

What does all this mean?

More and better online reviews matter, especially if you are selling a product online or seeking to entice local customers to use your service or visit your business. Reviews influence organic search results throughout the search ecosystem. That is the reality and it’s exciting because given the huge empirical impact of online reviews, the cost is relatively low.

Is your business consistently capturing more and better reviews? Do you have an automated system in place? If not, please get started now!

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