Newsletter #10

Why You Should Give a F*@# About... - Whitespark Local Insider

Whitespark's Monthly Local Search Newsletter

Local Insider

October, 2015

"Okay, You keep on going on about Yelp. Why do I care about Yelp? Seriously, no listen, let's think about this for one second - okay? I've been in business for 24 years, why do I care if Yelp has a review about me? Do you think I really care about Yelp? I don't give a F*@# about Yelp!"

Here's Why You Should Give a F*@# About ReviewsThe initial response of Brian Wolfe is probably how many business owners often feel when local marketers are strongly encouraging online reviews. But, as it has been proven time and time again implementing a review process for your business can make all the difference in your rankings and clicks.Moz's 2015 Local Search Ranking Factors were recently published and we are still seeing that Review Signals (Review quantity, Review velocity, Review diversity, etc.) make up approximately 8.4% of the overall ranking factors. While this figure isn't staggering, don't discount the impact that this little number can have on a business.Reviews are the name of the game and who better to really hammer our point home than some of our local industry peers, who contributed to this years Local Search Ranking Factors Survey:"Reviews have become a major competitive difference maker, so you'll want to be earning as many good ones as possible, particularly on prominent platforms like Yelp, and the basis of these reviews is right in your own store, in your interactions with customers." Miriam Ellis Solas Web Design "Based on some initial click test studies I did I found that users are very inclined to click on the results that have star ratings. More reviews seemed to correlate with more clicks. Now that there are only 3 listings displayed it makes sense to put an added focus on reviews. Even if you’re not ranking in the top 3, if the user selects the business title they’re taken to the map like listing page where more businesses are displayed. This gives you a chance to “steal” a click. So work on your reputation and you’ll likely see more click throughs." Casey MerazJuris Digital "Businesses that want clicks, calls and customers must earn positive reviews. Not only do customers / clients expect them, competitors with lower positions, but better ratings are winning attention over businesses with higher positions that lack positive ratings." Gyi TsakalakisAttorneySync "Magic happens when you get a steady little stream of reviews over time on a variety of sites. It’s also perhaps the best way to get customers out of whatever rankings you have. (On the other hand, if you fudge those reviews, it’s a great way to repel customers.)"Phil RozekLocal Visibility System "When it comes to reviews, I don’t believe it’s just the quantity of reviews that matters but also the age of them. If Google has 2 businesses that had 20 reviews but one of them had all 20 left in the last 6 months whereas the other had them spread over 4 years, I think the choice of which business to rank higher would be clear. I often see businesses with a few really old reviews ranking high without a ton of other important ranking factors in place. Staying 1 step ahead of your competition might be the best ranking factor you can look out for."Joy HawkinsImprezzio Marketing Do Your Current Review Signals Stack Up?Reviews have both search and social elements. They provide credibility for businesses and allow existing clients the opportunity to engage on a business's behalf. Reviews demand that business owners listen to what customers have to say, and improve upon their products and services, so that at the end of the day companies can grow along with their client base.Implementing a review management process is one of the easiest methods for gathering feedback, testimonials and getting more online reviews. Did you know that Whitespark has a tool that does all of this for you? The Reputation Builder. If you need more convincing or just love reading about reviews, check out these articles: Social Media Posts Help Push Hotels to Upgrade Online Reviews, Reputation And How To Become Super CredibleAnd just in case you were wondering...Cheers,Team Whitespark

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