How Google reviews affect map packages and organic search rankings

There is no doubt Local search engine optimization And general business benefits to earn and encourage customers to leave keyword-rich CommentIn many cases, customers will leave a comment regardless of whether you request it or not.

If resolved quickly and in a positive way, even negative comments will have a positive impact. Perhaps the worst thing a business can do is not to respond to reviews to show customers that you are listening.

In addition to their impact on conversions, comments are local Ranking factor This may increase or hinder your ranking, depending on many factors.

Let us learn more about how local reviews affect your Map package And local natural search rankings.

Benefits of customer reviews

Customer reviews It is a powerful indicator of the status of local businesses in their communities. After all, who better than Google’s customers can suggest corporate value to Google?

This event In the past two years, more and more consumers have been online. There is no doubt that they will continue to seek insights from their peers on which companies to buy from or work with in the future.

In fact, a study of local consumer reviews published by BrightLocal in December 2020 found that 87% Of consumers read online reviews of local businesses in 2020-up from 81% in 2019.

Another local consumer study from BIA/Kelsey and ConStat shows that, not surprisingly, 97% Of consumers now use online media when researching products or services in their local area.

In addition, the study stated that “90% use search engines, 48% use Internet yellow pages, 24% use vertical websites, and 42% use comparison shopping sites.”

Google and other search engines seem to reward companies with more positive reviews by putting them in the coveted map package and placing them at the top of the natural local search results.

It appeared in search results for more than 30% of the time, and its links received more than 70% of natural search traffic.

The map package (or local package) has three Google business profile, Are considered most worthy of this highest charge, as well as their star ratings, customer reviews and business details.

A recent study by SEMrush on Local Pack 5,624 Companies found that the average star rating is 4.1, and more importantly, the average number one company gets more positive reviews than the second and third companies.

In other words, more positive reviews received on a consistent basis will have a positive impact on the company’s ranking, the ability to be seen and get targeted local traffic.

Going further, Whitespark 2021 local ranking factor reportBased on a survey of 42 SEO experts, the importance of specific comment characteristics to Map Pack ranking is broken down as follows:

1. High star rating (ie 4-5).
2. Keywords in Google reviews.
3. The number of Google comments.

The SEO experts surveyed by Whitespark also pointed out the importance of reviews for the conversion of Google’s business data, which act on behalf of customers (ie clicks, calls, etc.).

In this case, the following review characteristics are considered the most important, of which the first 2 are the overall primary factors in the conversion of the pound sterling:

1. High star.
2. Comment on the positive emotions in the text.
3. The number of Google comments.
4. The recency of the comment.
5. Owner’s response to comments.
6. The number of positive review attributes.

Another benefit of customer reviews is to generate keyword-rich content related to local businesses, as customers comment on the business (brand), product, or service they consume.

This is content The business owner/manager does not have to create it.

However, companies have a responsibility to respond to comments, which we will discuss later.

Based on all of this, if you own or manage a local business, you need to take advantage of the potential benefits of customer reviews.

How do comments affect map packs and local rankings?

There are some differences in the way Google interprets reviews relative to where the company appears in the map package and its ranking on the local search engine results page.

Whitespark’s report shows that comments have a 17% share of the map package, but only 5% of the local organic ranking.

Map package rankings tend to be more inclined to the quality of Google business profile pages, local organic rankings and broader on site and Off-site factor.

Regardless of the percentage, comments play an important role in the way companies display in the two organic search formats.

Several experts in the Whitespark report focused on “keywords in Google Native Reviews” and “number of Google Native Reviews” as two areas they will focus on to increase their visibility in 2022.

Where should I get reviews?

For many local businesses, Google reviews submitted through the Google business profile page are the most valuable type of reviews you can receive.

According to ReviewTrackers, Google reviews account for 57.5% Of all online local comments, Facebook comments accounted for 19%.

Professional companies may find value in getting reviews on specific industry or locally focused sites.

By definition, from the perspective of organic search rankings, comments from these sites have low weight and should not be actively sought.

Pro type: Before spending any time or money seeking exposure or reviews, determine whether a catalog or review site for a specific industry appears in the search results for your main keywords (i.e. have your own authority).

How do I get reviews?

The aforementioned Brightlocal 2020 report found that “72% Of American consumers have written reviews for local businesses”, which means that if most customers think they have had a positive or sometimes negative experience, they are of course willing to submit a review.

Therefore, the first natural key to getting (positive) reviews is to simply provide your customers with products and services worthy of reviews.

However, sometimes it is necessary to show or remind customers where to compliment. There are some steps you can take to encourage customers to leave comments:

• ask: Don’t be afraid to ask customers for reviews directly, especially after you successfully deliver a product or service. Some companies will trigger a review request via text or email immediately or within a few hours after the customer purchases, uses the service, or completes the appointment.

• Other business Include link For them Google business profile, Facebook page or other review site’s digital or paper invoice. There are some technical solutions available to help small businesses that usually have limited time to automate the process of requesting and responding to comments after delivery to ensure that this is done on a consistent basis.

• promote: Display banners, badges, or links to your preferred comment sources on your main web assets so that your customers can easily access and provide feedback, such as your website, shopping cart, email signature. In addition, please consider offline promotion and soliciting comments. In a retail environment, this may involve referencing a review site next to the front door or cash register.

Wherever you prompt them to provide a review (if they think you are worth it), suggesting that they refer to the product, service, location, or other relevant details is also a good idea.

The goal here is to allow customers to create and submit reviews containing keywords and phrases that search engines can choose and attribute to the business; a small but effective SEO strategy.

In short, the easier it is for customers to leave a review, the more likely they are to leave a review. In addition, reviews are more likely to reflect their overall positive experience with your business.

But what if my business receives negative reviews?

This may be the most frequently asked question in the comments and why some local companies may avoid asking in the first place.Every company, no matter how hard its employees try their best, (at a certain point in time) will get Negative comments.

The key is to deal with bad reviews as soon as possible and resolve any problems your customers encounter.

In fact, conscientious business owners see negative reviews as an opportunity to demonstrate responsiveness and customer service. Savvy customers are also very concerned about this.

The ReviewTrackers study found, “53.3 Percentage of consumers expect their reviews to get a response within 7 days,” and Brightlocal’s research shows that “when writing a review, 20% Of consumers expect to receive a response within one day. “

Please note that there is no mention of positive or negative here, which means that regardless of their emotions, most consumers want to respond to their reviews.

If customers leave negative reviews, these percentages will definitely rise. Quick response and solutions are essential to retain and attract customers.

According to a 2018 Harvard Business Review study, the study “checked tens of thousands of hotel reviews and replies from TripAdvisor”, and the hotel that responded to the review saw 12% The number of incoming comments increased, and the overall rating increased slightly.

In addition, it does not seem to matter whether these responses are too good or too bad.

Although Google reviews should be the main focus, if you maintain your profile and receive reviews on third-party sites, such as cry, Tripadvisor, etc., you should respond equally diligently to this feedback, especially when it comes to negative feedback.

Although the organic authority of these sites is limited, the overall impact on your brand and public perception is real.

As mentioned earlier, there are some techniques that can help quickly manage comments, which can be associated with their emotions. In other words, you can highlight and prioritize negative comments to ensure that they are dealt with quickly.

Google understands and without a doubt explained the following possibilities Negative comments Similarly, when considering the authority and credibility of the enterprise.

Some negative comments will not harm your ranking ability, but if these comments are not answered, it will harm your ranking. In addition, unanswered negative reviews may harm your business in general because they indicate a lack of customer service in general.

As you might expect, multiple negative reviews will undoubtedly adversely affect any business and its ability to rank prominently in search engines. If this happens to you, then it may be time for you to take a step back and reflect on how you started your business.

Social proof makes the digital world work

Regardless of the medium used, one thing that has never changed is that people want to deal with other people and companies they trust.

They often use family, friends, and neighbors to verify the credibility of the business they are considering.

Online reviews simply extend this process to this relatively new medium, in which the modern buyer journey is increasing.

Google recognizes this and rewards companies that gain, monitor, and effectively respond to their customer base by increasing the visibility of natural search.

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