Does Responding To Reviews Help SEO

Does responding to reviews Help SEO? Yes, responding to all Google reviews will not only help you rank higher but will also help you gain more business. The main reason for this is that it tells Google and your potential customers alike that you care about your customers. Google sees how you respond to your reviews, and if you respond in a timely, professional manner, you'll be seen as more authoritative and trustworthy than your competition that doesn't. Likewise, your potential customers will see how you respond to your reviews - negative and positive - and will potentially decide whether or not they will work with you based on that.

Does It Help To Reply To Google Reviews?

Google has said that businesses can improve their ranking potential if they answer - in a timely, professional manner - any reviews they receive. In a blog post, Neil Patel goes over the importance of responding to reviews of all sorts. In that blog post, he mentions that responding to reviews of any type - Amazon, Yelp, Google, etc. - will allow you to demonstrate the quality of your customer service and the professionalism of your company.

What matters most when you respond to reviews is keeping it professional - especially if it is a negative review. Studies show that negative reviews can have a more positive impact than positive ones if you respond correctly. If you receive a negative review, never fight fire with fire. Always apologize and try your best - within reason - to make it right. If the customer is wrong, apologize and offer to make it right. It isn't about whether or not they are in the right. It's about preserving the image of your business.

Does Liking A Google Review Help SEO?

Google has repeatedly said that responding to your reviews will improve your ability to rank. Any form of interaction will help to boost your rankings. Never simply just like a review, though. You want to respond to every single review you have as soon and thoroughly as possible.

How Reviews Affect SEO?

Reviews help your SEO drastically because they show Google that you not only have actual customers but also that your customers care enough to leave reviews. Google views businesses with more reviews as more authoritative, more legitimate, and trustworthy than their less-reviewed counterparts. The more positive reviews you have, the more likely you are to rank. In fact, not only do reviews help improve your ability to rank, but you can even have optimized reviews. 

When a customer leaves a review boasting the results our company was able to get for them, then Google understands, based on that review, that our business offers SEO services in Michigan. It will then allow us to rank higher for that service because of the relevant reviews we're receiving. The same is true for any business - optimized reviews can boost your rankings more than regular reviews. However, the keywords used in your reviews can be different from exact match keywords. It is better if your reviews use a mix of keywords, such as keyword variations and related keywords.

Should You Reply To Every Review?

Absolutely. Even if it's just a review that says nothing. Often customers will leave you a star rating but will not say anything. It is even worth it to reply to these, saying something like, 

"thank you for your review! :)" 

Or something similar to that. You never want a review to exist without you having responded to it. Failing to respond to reviews of any kind tells Google that you don't care as much as your competition that does. The main reason you should respond to every review goes back to Google's primary goal. Google's entire goal can be summed up in two words - "user experience." 

Responding to every review, even those with stars, shows Google that you care for your customers. In Google's eyes, your competition that fails to do this will seem to care less about its customers. Google will then think they will offer a worse user experience than you and will likely start promoting your content above theirs - assuming you are seen as their competitor.

What Is The Best Way To Respond To Google Reviews?

The best way to respond to Google reviews is to respond professionally and promptly. Try to be as helpful and professional, yet kind, as possible. If they express any issues, try to help them resolve their issues. If they display any irritation or unhappiness with your product or service, ensure them that you will reach out and take care of it personally. It doesn't matter what they say, so long as you are kind, thorough, and professional. If you keep this in mind, even the nastiest negative review can help a potential customer decide your business is the right choice because only a quality business worth working with will respond professionally to bad complaints. Never argue, fight, or belittle your customers. If you keep these tips in mind, you'll improve your reputation, and eventually that will result in more traffic and traction. You can then use this to help improve your conversion rate on your landing pages and other similar pages.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has answered any questions regarding the importance of responding to any Google reviews. If you have any questions or feel we've missed anything, feel free to reach out to us, and we'll help in any way we can!

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