Can Online Reviews be SEO Optimized?
Can reviews be SEO optimized?
As we’ve discussed here many times before, search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential part of marketing because it draws people to your website by improving your search rankings. When we refer to SEO, we typically spend time talking about the use of keywords and key phrases in various forms of content, such as web pages, blogs, emails, and other types of marketing materials.
Many people wonder how, or if, online reviews can be used to optimize SEO. Today, we’re going to explain how SEO optimizers relate to online reviews and how you can increase the number of reviews that your company is receiving on Google and various review sites.
How Search Engines Use Your Online Reviews
As we’ve already said, a big focus of search engine optimization is the use of keywords and key phrases that will bring people to your site whenever they use them to search for things that your company may offer. But, overall, search engines work in a much more advanced way. Google and other search engines use a variety of additional factors to decide on search rankings, such as page speed, site links, user experience, mobile friendliness, and domain age.
Online reviews can be a huge part of this because they send a positive signal to Google and other search engines that your company is deserving of attention. By the way, anytime we say “Google” from now on, just assume that we mean “Google and other search engines.” Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to business…
The way that online reviews use SEO optimizers effectively can be broken into three simple categories:
Endorsement of the Company’s Credibility
Google prefers to assist companies that have demonstrated their credibility in search rankings. As you can probably imagine, receiving multiple online reviews is one thing that signals to Google that your company is legitimate. Furthermore, whether these reviews are positive or negative takes a backseat to simply showing that your business is a bona fide company that people have actually interacted with in some way.
Better Understanding of the Business
It’s no secret that Google utilizes the most advanced, state-of-the-art internet sleuthing solutions (say that 10 times fast!) in the handling of search rankings. An important piece of this technology gives Google the ability to essentially “read” each review and identify keywords to learn what your company does, including which products or services you provide. Google can then redirect potential customers who are looking for what your company offers whenever they search for these specific words or phrases.
Determines Your Position in the SERPs
The last way online reviews can help your business is in the way Google calculates their position in the search engine results page (SERP), which is the page that the search engine returns after someone has submitted a search query. This can be extremely beneficial to your business because many consumers will click on one of the first few listings, or at least those that appear on the first page of results.
How to Optimize Your Online Reviews for SEO
If you want your online reviews to properly be used as SEO optimizers, then you need to have as many posted as possible.
Here are some techniques that companies can use to make that happen:
- Don’t Be Afraid of a Face-to-Face — As uncomfortable as the practice may seem at first, you should never be afraid to ask a customer for an online review in person.
- Follow-Up on Review Requests — After a few days have passed, send an email to customers who have purchased something to ask for an online review.
- Add a Review Link to Your Website — A review link on your site will make the process more efficient for visitors, increasing their likelihood of writing one.
- Respond to (Most) Online Reviews — Respond to positive and negative reviews, as long as the bad reviews aren’t nasty and filled with expletives.
- Create a Brand-New Business Card — Creating a new business card that advertises your website and social media platforms is a great way to introduce your company and ask for a review.
- Build a Dedicated Landing Page — Creating a landing page intended solely to cultivate reviews will often encourage feedback from visitors.
- Supply a QR Code Instead of a Link — Links on printed media can use a QR code for the sake of convenience.
- Use Occasional Pop-Up Requests — Using pop-up review requests can be a very useful tool, as long as they’re not intrusive while visitors are browsing.
- Post Review Links on Social Media — Posting online review links on social media will remind many customers at once.
Hiring a Marketing Agency for SEO Optimizers
If you truly want to take advantage of SEO optimizers in your online reviews, it’s always best to seek the assistance of a professional. Although Google (and other search engines, but Google is notorious for this) uses algorithms that are often secretive to avoid certain companies from cracking the code and manipulating the system, an experienced agency will understand what works best. They’ll also know how to use the tactics listed above, along with several others, to increase the number of online reviews that your company receives.
To Learn More About SEO Optimizers, Contact P3 Agency
P3 Agency is known for our expertise in digital marketing and web design in Clearwater and the surrounding areas, but that’s only the beginning of what we do. If you’d like to learn how we can use SEO optimizers to improve your search rankings or would like a free marketing assessment of your company to kick off 2023 the right way, give us a call at (727) 474-9064 today.