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Pay More Attention to Local Reviews

Getting a recommendation from a friend or family member can end up being one
of the most powerful driving factors when it comes to you making or not
making a purchase. This same power of suggestion is alive and well in the
form of online local reviews. If you manage a small business or have clients
who want more exposure in their local market, it is vital to start paying
more attention to local reviews. Even if you have been active with them
previously, there is always room for improvement. They can end up being the
difference between a thriving online presence and a barren shell of a
Google+ profile. Here are four reasons you need to pay more attention to
local business reviews.

Correcting Past Mistakes

I recently began work with a client who is looking to turn around their
online reputation. This process began with a new website and fresh content
to help improve search ranking. However, one of the most glaring issues was
there were some less than flattering online reviews present on an old
Google+ profile. One of my major short-term goals for them is to get some
fresh reviews that reflect the changes that have been made with the company.
The first, and best, way to deal with negative online reviews is to make
sure you are aware of them and develop a strategy to get new positive
reviews in place.

It Will Build Up Your Business or Client

If you are dealing with your own business, it can still be a great boost to
see a positive review on your listing or on a consumer review site. Actual
reviews from customers can be a great morale boost and proof that your
online strategy is paying dividends.
If you are working with clients, online reviews can be a powerful tool for
measuring the success of your campaign, and for developing a long-term
relationship with your client. Bringing more visitors and even increasing
sales for a website you manage is a very good and measurable goal. However,
giving your client's customers a good experience, and having them want to
share it with other potential customers, can end up being a difference maker
when you are sharing the results of a campaign. If you are managing the SEO
or online marketing for a company that has seen their online reviews grow
during their time with you, I can almost guarantee they will be much easier
to retain over the long-term.

Search Engines Will Like You – A Two Minute Case Study

It is a well-known fact that Google and the other search engines do attach
weight to user reviews, Google +1's, and other signals that a company or
website is providing a quality experience. However, just how important are
these reviews when it comes to SERP display and online marketing?

Here is a quick example to showcase the power of this information when it
comes to Google ranking. If you search Landscaping Minneapolis, the first
result you see should be Dean Bjorkstrand Inc. This company is one of my
clients that has a great number of high quality reviews from clients. Not
only does he have the top spot for this search term, but he has the most
attractive map result with 34 Google reviews and a 4.9 rating. It is no
coincidence that his reviews have helped push him to the top of the list for
local results.

Customers Will Like You – Minute Two of the Two Minute Case Study

Online reviews can end up being a great way to help with search rank, but
their intended purpose has always been to allow customers to share their
experience with one another. Continuing with my previous example, search for
Dean Bjorkstrand in your browser. Depending on your search settings you
should be able to locate the same company from before. You will see a
greatly expanded Google listing preview next to the standard search results.
This includes reviews and snippets from them directly on the search results
page. Also listed are additional reviews from different sites on the web.
What better way to sell a businesses' service than by having customers share
their positive experience right on the Google search results?
A recent survey has found that Yelp is among the most trusted resources for
consumer reviews with a high percentage of consumers utilizing this site
very far into the purchasing process. It is vital to get your business or
client exposure on these important mediums. Admittedly I would like to
continue to improve my client's Google reputation, and build a much stronger
presence on Yelp and some other local listing site.

What have been your strategies for creating positive reviews and driving
local SEO results? Also, feel free to give me a quick review of this article
in the comments! Good luck and thanks for reading!


my motto is "Keep it simple" and "don't leave anything for tomorrow that can
be done today."

Regards Gerald Crawford

Stellenbosch South Africa
Cell: +27-0720390184 (mobile)
E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws


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