If you haven’t already jumped onto the online reviews bandwagon, then this is something that you urgently need to do. Online reviews are an important way through which you can build trust and visibility for your brand. Considering the fact that 90% of people will consult them before making a purchase, getting reviews is something on which you should seriously work. The thing to note, however, is that not all businesses are the same, as far as reviews are concerned. So, what are local reviews and how do you get them?
The first step on the way to dissecting local reviews and their importance to businesses lies in identifying local businesses. A local business is one that operates within a constrained geographic space. Think a restaurant or a bar.
How many people are going to travel across the country just to visit a restaurant in one particular city or the other? The answer is, very few. And how many plumbers are going to be able to ply their trade across the entire country?
Some businesses are clearly localized in nature. If you take the example of a restaurant, such an establishment can only expect to get customers from a limited range around its premised. This can be anything from 0 to 3 miles.
On the other side, there are businesses whose operations are countrywide or even global. An example of this is Amazon.
Local reviews are those that are left by people with regard to local businesses. A person may, as an example, go to Yelp or Facebook to review their local restaurant or their local bar. They may even go there to leave feedback about their local electrician.
The importance of local reviews lies in the fact that they allow businesses to be found by people that really matter to their existence. There are a couple of other reasons why local reviews are of particular importance;
Online reviews are one of the most important factors that are used by Google and other Search Engines when assigning ranks to web pages. If you wish to rank high, therefore, its important for you to make sure that your business gets reviewed on all the important platforms.
The (positive) reviews that are left by your customers allow you to build the kind of brand image that is needed in order to boost your business. If you think we are exaggerating, just consider the fact that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do the feedback that they get from their friends and family.
This makes reviews very important. Knowing that others have already sampled a particular product or service, and have found it satisfactory, gives people the final impetus that they need to make a purchase.
Another reason why local reviews are important is the fact that they allow you get star ratings in your Google Ads and in Google PLAs. Star ratings come in the form of seller and product ratings, and they are a useful way through which you can increase your visibility in Search. That is particularly the case for those that reach out to their customers through Google Ads.
If you would like to know how you can get star ratings in both Google organic and in Google Ads, feel free to consult the page in the provided link.
So, what are some of the places where you can list your local business? Let’s assume, as an example, that you are a plumber operating in a small town somewhere. The most important local listings for your business are going to be;
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