For most small business owners, understanding the importance of Google reviews can be key to attracting new customers. In fact, 81% of consumers today check Google reviews before deciding where to shop, dine, or hire a service. Just think about it - would you pick a restaurant for a romantic dinner with your new date without checking its reviews first? Chances are, you'd look at those reviews to make sure you're choosing the best spot.
Google reviews directly impact your ability to build trust with customers and can ultimately make or break a consumer’s decision. But they do more than just enhance your online reputation. High ratings and a strong volume of reviews can significantly improve your visibility in local search results. So, how exactly do Google reviews impact your search rankings and SEO?
A typical local business discovery journey often starts with a Google search like “best dentist near me” or “best restaurant near me.” Customers usually pick a business from the top three search results, known as the local map pack.
What determines which businesses land in those top three spots? Google ranks them based on relevance, distance, and prominence, with Google reviews playing a major role in all three.
Your success in local SEO, influenced by Google reviews, depends on a few key factors:
- Overall review rating
- Number of reviews
- Recency of reviews
- Responses to reviews
- Quality of reviews
So, here’s the answer to the question you’ve been looking for: how can a business owner like yourself start getting more Google reviews and improving your overall ranking?
Most business owners might start by simply asking each customer to leave a review, but this can feel a bit awkward, and in reality, most customers will forget and never follow through. Ideally, you’d want a way for customers to leave a review before they even leave your business. This is where a Google Review Stand comes in handy.
What is a Google Review Stand, and how does it work so effectively? Well, it’s quite simple, really. Every business has its own dedicated Google review page and a corresponding URL.
ReviewBoost has designed PVC stands with an embedded NFC (Near Field Communication) microchip - the same technology used in mobile phones for tap-and-pay. It works in much the same way: your customers simply hover their mobile phone near the Google Review Stand, and voilà - your Google review page opens instantly!
But what else can you do to improve your overall Google ranking for your business?
There are several other essential steps to focus on, and we've listed the 14 most important ones below:
We hope this post has been valuable to you! By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to enhancing your Google presence and building trust online in no time.
