In this day and age, it is rare to find some form of social proof whilst on an eCommerce customer journey. When it comes to the most popular and powerful forms of social proof – reviews, ratings and testimonials sit at the top. They add credibility and trust between the brand and consumer. It’s also a strong advocate for brand identity and can be an extremely powerful tool for building loyalty.

How do customer reviews help SEO?

When your customers come back to your site to write their reviews, they are actually providing you with more unique content that Google can track and index. According to a recent survey, the following stats support the decision to encourage customers to place reviews for your business.

• 90% of consumers will read a businesses review before visiting or using a service/product
• 72% of consumers will take action only after reading a positive review
• 31% of customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews

Online reviews are thought to make up 10% of how Google and other search engines decide to rank search results, so it is definitely something that should not be ignored. Other than creating unique content, here are 4 ways reviews can help boost your SEO.

1. Reviews generate long-tail keyword traffic

You can leverage the power of customer reviews to generate long-tail keyword traffic. Long tail keywords are three to four keyword phrase specific to the product(s) sold or services you provide, A customers review is likely to contain these specific key terms which also means that future potential customers are likely to find your business when using similar language when they conduct their online search.

2. Reviews increase social sharing

According to studies, 92% of consumers believe the recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising. Social media is a great way to spread word of mouth especially to a larger population. Therefore it is no surprise that this can help to increase sales for your business. Google recognises social sharing so we highly advise incorporating reviews in your social media strategy

3. Reviews improve your Google ranking

Reviews can boosts your social appearance and authority. So staying focused on reviews and how to improve them is extremely valuable to your SEO. Google will take your site ranking into consideration and will favour higher rated websites. Try to find new ways to encourage your customers to leave you a review once they have used your product or service.

4. Reviews increase traffic

When customers are deciding on whether to trust a company before using their products or services, they will most likely check out that company’s reviews. Positive reviews and a higher star rating will give you more opportunities to reach your potential audience whilst they are conducting their searches. Get the most out of your product/service reviews by ensuring your customers are happy so they are more likely to leave you a good review. You can incentivise customers by providing them with a discount or coupon upon completion of leaving a review. In addition you should ensure to respond to all reviews, whether good or bad. This is your chance to show customers that you care about what they have to say, and can even lead to you getting more reviews,

As a business owner, utilising reviews is a powerful SEO booster that can help to lead to more traffic and increase sales. By improving your review ratings you can show off your brand as a trusted and transparent business to future customers.

CFM GROUP has over 8 years of experience in the Digital Marketing Industry. We are proud to have more reviews than any other local company in our industry, assuring our customers they are in good hands. Every single website we create is bespoke as no single client is the same as well as SEO optimised. Getting to know your business and your exact needs are integral to producing a beautiful website.  That not only looks professional, it sells your services or products to your target audience effectively.

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