A significant ratio of potential customers rely on positive online reviews when they want to purchase a product or a service. Positive reviews online affect the buying behaviour of customers in every industry. Needless to say, a customer will gravitate towards a product with positive reviews instead of a negatively reviewed item.
Positive reviews enhance your organic search click-through-rates
Depending on the search engine you are using, reviews will prominently appear in the top SERPs (search engine results pages) alongside listings from your site itself. Some surveys have suggested that online reviews make up to 10% of Google and other search engines’ results.
Obviously a listing with positive reviews draws more attention as opposed to a listing that has poor or no ratings.
Positive reviews enhance your search engine optimisation
There are many sources that Google uses to get local business information, and among them are the popular review sites. If you have a higher percentage of popular reviews coupled with on and off-page search engine optimisation, your business listing goes up in the organic results.
Positive reviews are a social proof
If your business has positive reviews, it is a social proof that your business is legitimate. A customer can tell that what you are offering is genuine enough.
Be mindful that negative reviews, while invariably upsetting, do not herald the end of your business. You only need to respond to them, and shows customers you care about their opinions.
Positive reviews help build trust
Positive reviews have everything to do with purchasing decisions by customers, whether they are buying online or visiting the physical location of the business. For instance, if the customer is looking for a restaurant, the reviews available play a role in the decision-making process. Every consumer needs to have trust in a business they are looking to give their hard-earned money over to!
Reviews are valuable feedback
If you have genuine reviews, whether positive or negative, you get critical feedback from customers. You will use this feedback to help in improving your business.
Impact of positive reviews on local SEO
Most entrepreneurs are only too aware of the importance of a good reputation. What people think and say about your business is crucial.
It is essential to listen to the feedback one gets from customers. Online reviews are essential in the following ways:
- They enhance your SEO rankings
- They influence consumer purchasing decisions
- They affect which search results get clicked on
Positive reviews are a way for different businesses to acquire an advantageous position in the local SEO results. Search engine results that have good and positive reviews attract more click-throughs as well as physical visits. Having positive reviews in local search engine results can translate to winning a customer or not.
Dangers of buying reviews and how they affect your business
Every entrepreneur wants his business to receive positive reviews. However, this is obviously not possible, particularly in an era in which most consumers have extremely high expectations. The clamour for positive recognition may drive some to employ black hat tactics. Note that you should never buy reviews as it is likely to eventually hurt the integrity of your business. These purchased reviews are fake and usually look fake. If you are discovered, your business will not only lose its reputations, but customers will walk out on you.
It is possible for review sites to employ user tracking and other methodologies to identify fake reviews. It is essential to keep it genuine every time.
Conclusion
Every business wants positive reviews because that is what will drive purchases and increase their profits. Having positive reviews also helps your business dominate the top positions within search engine results with favourable listings.
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