In the digital landscape, Google reviews have an enormous influence on consumers’ purchasing decisions and on the success of companies. But why is that? 🤔
We scour the Internet daily for new products, discover companies and check their reviews directly to weigh up whether a purchase would make sense or could turn out to be a bad decision.
Online reviews are feedback or opinions that consumers share on digital platforms about their experiences with products, services or companies. These are published on various websites and platforms. They enable other consumers to make informed decisions by providing insights into quality, reliability and customer service. It’s like getting insider information that can help with decision-making.
A company’s own advertising attempts to make customers aware of the product on offer and convince them of it. It is then up to the consumers themselves to get an additional picture of whether the benefits offered by the company also correspond to the actual experience of previous customers.
In our digital world, online reviews provide a large part of the (supposedly) authentic information on which we can base our purchasing decisions for the first time. This is especially true if we have not previously received a personal recommendation from friends and family. The importance of online reviews should therefore not be underestimated.
“70% of customers check online reviews before making a purchase decision. 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase if the product has high ratings and positive reviews.“
Qahri-Saremi & MontazemiGoogle occupies a leading position among all review platforms. This is because Google is often the preferred search engine and the reviews are displayed directly without having to actively search for them with additional effort.
So imagine this: A potential new customer is looking for a product or service that your company offers. When entering the search terms in Google, numerous results are displayed. But what catches the eye first? The name of your company, the star rating and the first detailed reviews and customer feedback about your company.
“Online reviews have a significant impact on credibility and trust in the company, service or product. As the number of reviews increases, consumers look to heuristic clues such as star ratings to simplify their search and evaluation process.“
KovácsWhat does this mean for company management? Online reputation is a company’s digital business card. On this business card, Google reviews are one of the most important foundations for the trust and credibility of a company of any size and a decisive factor in attracting new customers (Just as important as all other PR management, corporate image, etc.).
Online Reputation Management and traditional marketing activities differ mainly in their focus and execution. Digital reputation management focuses on the online perception of a company by actively responding to reviews and being present on social media to positively shape its online image. Traditional marketing, on the other hand, relies on broad strategies such as advertising campaigns and public relations to strengthen the brand and build customer loyalty. While online management reacts quickly and dynamically to the online environment, traditional methods aim to establish long-term relationships. Both approaches complement each other to promote a strong brand and a positive reputation both online and offline.
Various factors such as the content, user-friendliness or speed of a website determine its position in Google’s search results. Online reviews have always played an important role in search engine rankings. But since last year, they have become more important than ever.
Every year, Google adjusts its own algorithm with so-called core updates. These updates include significant changes to how Google determines which websites appear in users’ search results. The aim, of course, is to display the most relevant search queries at the top. The latest updates in 2023 reinforce the importance of Google reviews and thus increase the relevance of Online Reputation Management.
Positive reviews, especially those with keywords related to the company or industry, significantly improve a company’s visibility and ranking in Google search results. This increased visibility leads to more website traffic, which makes the interaction of Google Core Updates and positive reviews an essential strategy for companies.
Although Google Reviews offer comprehensive insights, they also present companies with the challenge that negative reviews arise much faster and more frequently than positive ones.
“Dissatisfied customers are often more motivated to share their experiences to let off steam or to get justice.
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Solutions such as the one from hypt offer opportunities to actively improve Google rankings and effectively overcome these challenges.
The trust factor of Google reviews and their impact on Google rankings make them indispensable nowadays.
Companies need to actively collect positive reviews, use them to their advantage, actively manage their online reputation and strategically utilise the findings from Google Core Updates.
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