Any search for a reputable business online these days will return some kind of customer review. Whether that be in short-form stars, or long video testimonials, reviews are fundamental to the contemporary business landscape. And they have a real impact too. In BrightLocal’s 2024 Consumer Review Survey, 91% of consumers admitted that online reviews impact their overall perception of brands in some way. That’s potentially 91% of consumers that are influenced, positively or negatively, by what they read about your business online. That’s all great, but exactly why are customer reviews important?
In other words, why are they worth the time and energy? Why should they be a significant part of your marketing strategy? That’s where we come in. In this post, we will cover 7 reasons that indicate the importance of online reviews. We will discuss:
- Brand Feedback and Improvement
- Increased Brand Awareness
- Use in Marketing Materials
- Customer Engagement and Brand Loyalty
- Competitive Advantage
- Boosted SEO
- Increased Local Reach
So, without further ado, here’s why reviews are important.
1. Brand Feedback and Improvement
Paying attention to the ‘buzz’ around your business is a vital step to ensuring that you are offering something your audience truly wants. Positive reviews can demonstrate where consumers are identifying the value of your business, which can be a treasure trove of information when making future business decisions.
However, reviews that suggest areas of improvement are even more valuable. These comments can give better insight into what matters to your consumers, helping to elevate conversion rates, and ultimately profits. Plus, if a certain issue consistently arises, you can prioritise changes accordingly, depending on the frequency of mention. Overall, genuinely listening to and actioning feedback will help to create a smooth, pleasing and personal experience for your audience.
2. Increased Brand Awareness
Acting as a useful bridge between timeless word-of-mouth feedback and the online sphere, customer reviews are important since they offer another stream of discovery. More than just explicit rating pages like Google, Yell, or TripAdvisor, customer reviews can act as a marketing tool that targets the reviewer’s network of connections. If someone posts a glowing review of your business on social media, for example, your business is then in front of many new eyes. This is particularly effective for local businesses, whose audiences are likely in one or two geographical areas.
Reviews shared on social media also have an indirect impact on your SEO efforts. User-generated content, including reviews, may sometimes include organic backlinks to your website, helping to build a solid link profile. Plus, reviews on social media increase engagement with your business, ultimately increasing click-through rates. For more information on how SEO and social media can work together, explore our dedicated blog on the topic.
3. Use In Marketing Materials
Reviews continue doing the work long after they are posted. Potential consumers will encounter the comments as and when they come across the business, regardless of when it was originally put up. This means that reviews are also important for both short and long-term reputation.
However, reviews can also be maximised actively by you. Providing excellent content for marketing endeavours, utilising reviews on your website, in specific advertisements, and in social media posts is an engaging and informative way to promote your brand. There’s no better way to speak to potential consumers than through the words of those who were once in their shoes. Video testimonials are particularly valuable, introducing a relatable face and personality to your efforts.
4. Consumer Engagement And Brand Loyalty
Most review platforms will allow you to respond to comments left by users. This is particularly useful to develop relationships with consumers, increasing the likelihood of a repeat purchase. Plus, an active business encourages future reviewers to leave feedback, resulting in a snowball effect of comments. As more people review your business, more people feel comfortable to do so, meaning that the impacts are amplified, before the cycle starts again.
Not only does replying show to the reviewer that you actively care for and respond to feedback, but it is also integral to improving conversions among potential customers. The same report by BrightLocal that we mentioned earlier also identifies that 88% of consumers would use a business that replies to all of its reviews, compared to just 47% who would use a business that doesn’t respond at all. That’s a huge percentage to potentially miss out on by not engaging in the conversations!
The Importance Of Responding To Negative Reviews Well
Okay, so you might not want any negative reviews, but when they do happen, it’s not the end of the world! By responding well to such feedback, you can actually make it a positive experience. Since your responses to reviews are usually public, you can use the situation to position yourself as a business that truly cares about the experiences of your customers, and one that is willing to improve to meet their needs.
We have an excellent guide on this already, but when responding to negative reviews, a general rule is to remain polite and professional. Remember that the ultimate goal is to demonstrate that your business values the consumer experience. You may want to offer an apology, before acknowledging their concerns and outlining any steps you will take to address their comments. Providing contact information to further discuss the issue can also be particularly useful.
5. Competitive Advantage
Simply put, reviews are important because they demonstrate the value and quality of your business. This means that when your business is positioned alongside competitors, reviews are a key differentiating factor, especially in cases where you offer broadly the same services or products.
Certain platforms like Just Eat may even offer a review filter option to users, meaning that a high enough review rating can put you at the forefront of a search, effectively blocking out the competition. Another way of putting it is that reviews can help your business answer the question why you and not them?
On a more technical note, reviews also help to improve your SERP rankings, especially for local searches. Google and other search engines trust their users to indicate particularly valuable and relevant information, contributing to a business’ E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) value. As a consequence, if consumers mention your business in a positive light, Google is more likely to rank you higher for search queries. Which brings us nicely onto…
6. Boosted SEO
Ah SEO, the local business’ best friend. Quality reviews allow businesses to rank well even with lower quality link profiles, giving your solid SEO foundations a competitive leg up. There are a few reasons for this.
The first is that positive reviews naturally lead to high click-through rates. Consumers are more likely to be engaged and interested in a business that has a proven track record of quality and customer satisfaction. Higher click-through rates indicate relevant content with high user engagement, ultimately ensuring that your SEO efforts are receiving meaningful results (conversions) rather than simply increasing the reach count.
The second is that reviews often naturally include keywords. Since search engines are constantly on the lookout for relevant results, these keywords help signify that your business is worth returning to the searcher. Plus, you can even use reviews to identify potential keywords you may not have thought about before, particularly if they are being used repeatedly. As a result, you can tailor your SEO strategy to appeal more directly to your audience and their requirements.
A third is that user-generated content (like reviews) can help to keep your presence fresh whilst offering social proof. Providing new content regularly, reviews show search engines that your business is active, accountable and engaging meaningfully with consumers. Recognising your business as relevant and up-to-date, search engines are therefore more likely to consider it worth ranking.
Why Are Reviews Important For Google?
Google’s algorithm uses customer reviews as part of its process in deciding whether to rank a website in the search result pages. Many factors form a part of this procedure, including a high star rating, the mention of long-form keywords, business responses, and the recency of the reviews. These factors together position your business as a quality and relevant result, and we all know that quality and relevancy are the aims of the SEO game!
That being said, don’t be tempted to buy fake ‘reviews’. Google can spot such content very easily, and your rankings will be penalised for it. Instead, focus on quality reviews from genuine consumers. Photos and extra information all help identify their comments as contributing particular value.
Beyond organic search results, paid-for Google Ads also benefit from a healthy selection of reviews. Once you have met certain criteria, particularly the threshold of 100 unique reviews over 12 months, your Google Seller Ratings can then be integrated into your ads. This is a great way to make your ad stand out amongst the crowd, supporting your claims with consumer experiences.
7. Increased Local Reach
Our final reason for why reviews are important is that they are a key factor in local search. Along with the SEO benefits, reviews are essential to building your brand reputation. In a local community, a good reputation is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. Promoting increased credibility, customer reviews can demonstrate the role of your business in the local community, highlighting central factors like notability, experience and trustworthiness. As the call to ‘shop local’ makes a comeback, the importance of the honest and personal review has too.
Another key bonus is that optimising your Google Business Profile and obtaining quality reviews will help you to rank higher on Google Maps results. Great for reaching new customers on the go, reviews are a large part of maximising this space, ensuring that you reach the right audience in the right area. Wondering where to start? Check out our comprehensive guide on how to get your business on Google Maps.
Wrapping Up: Why Are Reviews Important?
So, there you have it, 7 reasons why reviews are important for your business. Go forth: review and be reviewed! Whilst you’re here though, why not explore the rest of our knowledge hive? There’s plenty more to learn!
