The Power of Reviews for SEO

Google trusts customers’ reviews, and it is no coincidence that Google often displays pages with a high volume of reviews first. Gone are those days when keyword stuffing was enough to climb Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).  Now, you can not afford to have a static strategy because Google is ever-evolving and SEO is always changing; ratings and reviews are important if you want to stay ahead in the online presence competition. Regardless of the products you sell or services you render, reviews significantly affect how individuals interact with your listings and website, thus impacting your overall SEO.

You are probably already aware of the relevance of SEO to your business's success online. Who wouldn't want her website to be seen as soon as a shopper comes online to look for a product she sells? I mean, over 25% of shoppers click on Google’s first result. If you want your business to be easily found online, you have to invest in a solid strategy. While good marketing content is useful, it’s not enough. SEO requires more than fantastic marketing content; customers’ reviews and ratings have proven to be vital in boosting your SEO.

Here are some ways customers’ reviews enhance your SEO:

1. Customers’ Reviews Generate Fresh Content For Google

Your customers can be your content creators if you allow them, and the best way this is possible is with their reviews. When a customer gives a review on your products or services, whether good or bad, it creates fresh content for Google to crawl without you having to create it yourself. These reviews help with your keyword density, provide fresh content, and consequently, improve your SEO. And there is no need to delete or hide the bad reviews on your page; after all, a perfect review and rating of 5.0 looks too good to be true. Instead of editing your reviews, respond to them, and keep working on providing your customers with the best quality products and services. 

2. Reviews Improve Your Keyword Density

As customers’ reviews generate fresh content on your page, they will likely make use of relevant keywords in their comments. Their reviews will inform Google about your brand and how well you are serving your customers, making Google develop an interest in showcasing your products/services online. With improved keyword density, your page is more likely to come up on Google search results pages. Customers’ reviews will serve as natural keyword boosters, hence reinforcing the strength of your website in search results for the products and services you provide.

3. Reviews Increase Your Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-through rate is one of the factors Google considers when ranking website pages. The more people that click on your page, the higher your chances of climbing Google result pages. Google sees a customer's review as an honest evaluation of a brand. And because Google wants people to get the best when they come online in search of anything, it ranks a page with many positive reviews highly. Therefore, if you put in the work to get more reviews on your product page, you stand the chance of increasing your click-through rate.

Also, shoppers tend to buy from a page with a higher number of reviews. Come to think of it, it's easy to fault the claims in content written by the owner of a page, but a review gives an honest assessment of a brand. With more reviews, individuals will be more inclined to click on your page. 

And who doesn't love the gold splash of your reviews and ratings that shows up underneath your listing? It catches shoppers' attention and makes them click on your page. The more reviews you have on your page, the higher your chances of featuring on Google’s top search results, and the more people will be inclined to patronize you.

4. Customers Reviews Increase Your Page Interaction

Consider this sentence on Google My Business (GMB) that states, “interact with customers by responding to reviews they leave about your business.” This shows that Google values customers’ feedback. But it is not only the feedback that Google pays attention to, it also values your responses to this feedback. If you get a bad review, take your time to clear the misunderstanding in the review session. Also, if you get a good review, take out time to respond with “thank you.” With your good customer care, a customer might be moved to edit their negative review; and when this happens, it increases your overall rating and click-through rate. When you take your time to reply to the reviews on your page, it indicates that you value your customers and their feedback. Your customers appreciate that, and Google does as well.

5. Reviews Improve Your Backlink Profile

Backlinks are important when it comes to SEO. The more backlinks your page generates, the more authority such page commands, and the more Google trusts your page. A good way to improve your backlinks is through customer reviews. Customer review sites like Amazon, TripAdvisor, and others, help to link back to your page. When people talk about your products and give great feedback, new or potential customers will be more convinced to click on your link. The higher your click-through rate (CTR), the more your potential to generate even more revenue. Also, the more click-through rate you get, the higher you’ll rank on Google results pages. Therefore, improving your backlink profile with customers’ reviews is a bold step towards improving your SEO.

Final Word

Adapting to current Google trends will go a long way to keeping your business ahead in the SEO race. Google is ever-evolving and SEO requirements are ever-changing. When you focus on your customers’ reviews, you increase the visibility of your business online, increase the click-through rate of your website, grow your backlink profile, grow your page and customer interaction, and increase your keyword density, all while generating fresh content for Google to crawl;  all of which improves SEO.