Do Search Engines Use Online Reviews as a Ranking Factor?
If you are like the majority of bloggers and website owners who are out there, you are probably focused on the ongoing challenge of giving your site greater visibility in search engine results. This focus is hardly surprising, considering that search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing play crucial roles in the way web content is consumed by audiences around the world.
The way that you are ranked by these search engines ultimately determines how successful your online endeavors will be. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) encompasses the various strategies and steps taken to enhance a website’s visibility on search engines. Not surprisingly, SEO remains a buzzword within the digital marketing industry, and for good reason.
The best-known strategies for boosting your site’s SEO include refining your site’s structure, optimizing for mobile search, acquiring high-quality backlinks, and implementing various other tactics. However, this post seeks to address a more specific question: Do search engines view online reviews as a factor when assigning ranks to a web page? Before diving into this topic, it’s important to take a moment to discuss the significance of online reviews in today’s digital landscape.
Why Online Reviews are Important
Online reviews are something that we have been talking about a lot in our blog posts. Their importance in Digital Marketing is, surprisingly enough, not greatly appreciated. That is despite the fact that they are at the very core of a large chunk of the commerce that takes place across the globe on a daily basis.
90% Read an Online Review Before Visiting a Business
Just consider the fact that 90% of all consumers who are out there will first look up online reviews before visiting a business, and you will understand what we are talking about here. There is also the fact that 88% of these people trust online reviews.
Clearly, getting positive online reviews for your business is crucial. For local businesses, in particular, positive reviews are a powerful tool to attract the right clientele, ensuring your business continues to thrive and grow.
Are Reviews a Ranking Factor?
Understanding how search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo operate is crucial for anyone looking to improve their online presence. These search engines are constantly evolving to enhance user experience, and one key area of focus is online reviews. While the exact impact of reviews on SEO rankings is still debated, there’s no denying that they play a significant role in driving traffic to your website, online store, or blog.
How Do Online Reviews Impact SEO?
1. Boosting Click-Through Rates (CTR) with Star Ratings
Star ratings are a powerful tool that can significantly enhance your online presence and drive more traffic to your website. If you’ve been following our blog, you’ve likely noticed our focus on this topic recently. Star ratings are primarily visible in three key areas: Merchant/Store Ratings, Product Ratings, and Organic Search Traffic Ratings. Understanding how to leverage these can provide a substantial boost to your online marketing efforts.
2. Star Ratings in Google Ads and Organic Traffic
Star ratings, particularly the five-star system often seen in Google Shopping and Google Ads, can make a substantial difference in your click-through rate (CTR). According to Google, ads featuring star ratings can increase CTR by up to 17%. This increase in CTR not only brings more visitors to your site but also has the potential to significantly impact your revenue. Whether you’re focused on Google Ads or organic search, star ratings offer an opportunity that shouldn’t be overlooked.
How to Get Star Ratings
Securing star ratings for your Google Ads or organic listings involves a few steps:
Reviews as a Ranking Factor in Local Search
For local businesses, online reviews play a crucial role in attracting nearby customers. Unlike broader online traffic, local search traffic comes from users within a specific geographic area. If you own a local business, such as a restaurant, your potential customer base is limited to those within a certain radius. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the factors that influence local search rankings, and online reviews are a significant part of that equation.
The Impact of Reviews on Local Search Rankings
Research into Local Search Ranking Factors, such as the study conducted by Darren Shaw, highlights the importance of review signals in local SEO. According to the study, review signals contribute to about 13% of your business’s local search ranking. This means that reviews can have a substantial impact on how visible your business is in local search results, directly influencing the amount of local traffic you receive.
Maximizing the Power of Reviews
To leverage reviews effectively for local SEO:
How to get Online Reviews
This is another topic on which we have dealt in previous postings. All that we can say here is that there are hundreds of online review platforms out there. The following are but a few of them;
Shopper Approved: Boosting Your Online Presence with Syndicated Reviews
Shopper Approved is a powerful tool for businesses looking to elevate their online visibility, especially through Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs). As one of the few companies licensed to syndicate reviews into Google PLAs, Shopper Approved makes it easier than ever to display those eye-catching star ratings. If you’re aiming to secure Seller/Merchant and Product Ratings in Google PLAs and Google Shopping, Shopper Approved provides a streamlined and effective solution.
How Shopper Approved Enhances Your Ratings
Star ratings are a critical factor in attracting potential customers, and Shopper Approved simplifies the process of getting these ratings displayed where they matter most. By using Shopper Approved, you can ensure that your Seller/Merchant and Product Ratings appear prominently in Google PLAs and Google Shopping, significantly improving your click-through rates (CTR) and driving more traffic to your products.
Collecting and Syndicating Local Reviews
Shopper Approved isn’t just for online ratings; it’s also an excellent tool for gathering and syndicating local reviews, which are vital for businesses that rely on local customers. Whether you own a restaurant, café, or any other local business, Shopper Approved offers a variety of tools to collect and manage reviews from your customers.
With Shopper Approved, you can:
Once gathered, these reviews are syndicated across multiple platforms, including:
Leveraging Google Business Profile for Local Reviews
Google Business Profile is another essential tool for collecting online reviews, particularly for local businesses. Once your business is listed and verified on GBF, it becomes visible in both Google Search and Google Maps, making it easier for local customers to find you. This is especially important for businesses like restaurants, cafés, and other local establishments, as visibility in Google Maps can significantly drive foot traffic.
Google Business Profile provides an easy way for potential customers to find your business, read reviews, and leave their own feedback. By combining GBF with Shopper Approved, you can maximize your local search presence and ensure that your business is easily discoverable both online and in the real world.
Conclusion
Shopper Approved offers a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to enhance their online reputation through syndicated reviews. Whether you’re focused on increasing star ratings in Google PLAs and Shopping or gathering local reviews, Shopper Approved provides the tools and platforms you need to succeed. By integrating Shopper Approved with Google Business Profile, you can amplify your online presence, improve your local search visibility, and attract more customers to your business.
