Digital Marketing - Study Notes:
Impact on search rankings
Local reviews have a direct impact on local search rankings, so it’s important that your business acquires them. Reviews are a critical area through which to drive incremental traffic to your site.
It’s worth mentioning that this doesn’t just mean Google reviews. You’ll also want to focus on getting reviews on your Yelp page, along with other local directories.
It may be difficult to do, but it is important to encourage customers to review your business and to be completely transparent. If a customer leaves a bad review, rather than letting that damage the business’s reputation, reply to the negative review constructively and address the customer’s complaints.
Some statistics to note:
- 90% of consumers say their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews
- 86% say buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews
Shane Lyons
Shane Lyons is head of Search & Analytics at Mediaworks, an award-winning media and communications agency. He has been working in Digital both in Ireland and abroad for the last 8 years and now specializes in SEO and Analytics.
