The Role of Reviews in Local SEO for Small Businesses in the UK
Online reviews and ratings have become the norm, something consumers expect to see online, which plays an important role in their decision-making. Reviews and ratings are important for small businesses in the UK, as they help to boost your online presence and reputation.
Reviews and ratings are an important part of a consumers purchasing decision, carrying a lot of weight in search engine algorithms. Search engines consider reviews and ratings as ranking factors for local search results, accounting for approximately 13% of local search ranking factors.
Small businesses benefit from having a strong online reputation and positive reviews can help you achieve this, boosting trust and credibility with potential customers. Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to use a business that has a high rating and good reviews. Eighty six percent of consumers looking for local businesses read reviews, with ninety one percent trusting reviews, seeing them as personal recommendations.
Reviews don't only influence your potential customers, they also have an impact on your ranking in local search engine results pages (SERPs). When search engines crawl and index review content, they search for relevant keywords, location information, and how your customers perceive your business. This all contributes to your ranking, boosting your visibility.
Add keywords and location information in your responses to views to improve search visibility and help search engines associate your business with specific products, services, and locations
Use schema mark-up to improve your chances of being showcases in snippets in search results. Structured data can help improve click-through-rates
Show positive reviews on your website. Displaying reviews can help to build trust and credibility, in turn, increasing conversions
No one wants to see a negative review about their business, but unfortunately you are likely to encounter them from time to time. We are all human and errors can occur. Negative reviews can also negatively impact your business and local SEO efforts. Negative reviews must be handled professionally and you need to respond to negative reviews in a timely manner.
It's essential you respond to these reviews constructively, demonstrating your business's commitment to customer satisfaction. Engaging with unhappy customers, resolving their concerns, can help to mitigate the impact of any negative reviews, turning a negative into a positive.
Small businesses in the UK can use reviews in their local SEO efforts to boost online reputation, visibility, and search rankings. Positive reviews attract potential customers, improving your ranking in local SERPs. Are you a small business that wants to reach your local community? Then get in touch with the Genie Crawl team today to discuss your local SEO needs.
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