How Product Reviews Help Boost SEO
How, you might ask? Well, when your customers come back to your site to write their reviews, they’re actually providing you with more unique content that Google can track and index. According to Search Engine Watch, the following stats support the decision to add product reviews to your ecommerce website:
- 90% of consumers read reviews before visiting a business
- 31% of customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews
- Reviews can boost your results by using fresh user-generated content
- 72% of consumers will take action only after reading a positive review
Although Google’s ranking methods are constantly changing, they consistently factor in original content. Any new content you produce on your website should be unique, relevant, helpful, valuable, and easily accessible across devices. According to MOZ’s Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, online reviews are thought to make up 10% of how Google and other search engines decide to rank search results, so it’s obvious they can’t be ignored. Other than creating unique content, here are 4 ways reviews help boost your SEO:
1. Reviews generate long-tail keyword traffic
Without adding your own keywords, you can actually leverage the power of user reviews without lifting a finger, since long-tail keywords are three to four keyword phrases specific to the products and services you offer. Normally, you can find these highly specific type search terms hidden within user reviews. Therefore, a future customer is likely to find your page when they use similar language while conducting their search.
2. Reviews increase social sharing
Social media is a great way to spread word-of-mouth. According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. So, it’s no surprise that it’s also the most likely to drive sales for your company. Google can also recognize social sharing, so incorporating reviews into your social strategy should be a high priority.
3. Reviews improve your Google ranking
Staying focused on reviews and how to improve them is extremely valuable to your SEO due to the fact that reviews can boost your social appearance and authority. Google actually does take your site ranking into consideration, and needless to say, favors the higher-rated websites.
4. Reviews increase traffic
As people search for reviews of your product, they’ll likely decide whether or not to trust your company and your products before they even visit your website. Reviews and star ratings give you more opportunities to reach your potential audience during the most crucial time of their buying process.
When creating your brand strategy, the following tips are key to getting the most out of your product reviews:
- Encourage reviews from customers
- Improve your score by ensuring your customers are happy
- Reward reviews through coupons, discounts, etc.
- Target the right audience when asking for reviews
- Reply to reviews whether good or bad
- Monitor and track third-party and social media ratings
As an online store owner, you should embrace reviews as powerful SEO boosters and lead to more traffic and higher conversion rates.
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