5 Ways Google Reviews Help Grow Your Business

How do Google reviews help your business? 

From boosting your local reputation to improving your ranking in search engine results, there are numerous benefits of Google reviews. Leveraged correctly, they can help your business rise to the top of the local market. 

Let’s break down five benefits of Google reviews and how they can support your brand. 

#1 Reviews Can Increase Your Online Exposure

While you may be investing in your online presence by developing social media accounts or building an outstanding website, don’t forget about your presence in the world’s top search engine: Google. 

Garnering Google reviews can increase potential customers’ exposure to your brand because:

1. More than half of consumers consult Google reviews before visiting a business’s physical location or making a purchase.
2. Companies with reviews are more likely to appear in the Map Pack (a group of three to four business pages featured at the top of Google’s search results).

If you’re trying to amp up your online exposure, it may be time to start collecting Google reviews from your customers. 

#2 Reviews Provide Transparent Feedback

Your brand can use the feedback provided in reviews to improve your product or service model. 

What could that look like? Let’s explore a hypothetical brand, Larry’s Socks:

• A customer leaves a four-star review for Larry’s Socks six months after purchase: “I love the look and feel of the socks, but one of the pairs got a hole in the toe after two months of wear.”
• After replacing the customer’s damaged pair, Larry’s Socks decides to switch to a stronger, higher-quality thread.
• After the replacement, customers no longer report holes in their socks. 

One customer review could be the difference between an inconspicuous product flaw and a game-changing solution. 

#3 Reviews Can Entice Customers to Convert

In the digital age, customer reviews are a trusted metric for product and service quality:

• 91% of consumers ages 18 to 34 trust online reviews as much as personal referrals
• 93% of consumers report that their shopping decisions are influenced by reviews
• 92% of commercial clients are more likely to purchase a product after reading a trusted review

Thus, reviews can be a powerful conversion tool. If a potential customer Googles your brand while they’re on the fence about making a purchase, positive reviews could tip the scale in your favor. 

#4 Reviews Can Improve Your Standing in Search Results

We mentioned that businesses with reviews are more likely to appear in the Map Pack at the top of the search engine results. But why is a spot in the Map Pack such a coveted one? 

According to Search Engine Journal:

• The Map Pack appears in search results more than one-third of the time
• Brands in the Map Pack receive more than 70% of organic traffic when they appear
• 90% of shoppers research products on search engines (like Google) before purchasing

If you want to appear at the top of the search engine results page when consumers search for something related to your brand, gathering reviews can help – making reviews an important element of local SEO. 

#5 Reviews Can Increase Your Standing in the Local Marketplace

Perhaps one of the most important benefits of reviews is that positive ones can only improve your brand’s online reputation in the local economy. 

Once your Google Business page has racked up some positive reviews, consider embedding those reviews onto your website to show your customers how happy others are with your brand. 

Collect Google Reviews for Your Up and Coming Business

The benefits of Google reviews are clear: They can amplify your online presence, supply useful feedback, convert customers who are on the fence, improve search engine rankings and support your local reputation. 

If you’re ready to start reaping the rewards of a strong review base, it’s time to ask your customers for feedback. And the best place to do that? In a convenient text. 

With Textedly's Online Review Management Software, you can reach out to your customers using SMS or MMS messaging with ease. Request reviews, confirm appointments, spread the word about sales and so much more using our simple, powerful platform. 

Text message marketing is changing the way brands communicate with customers. Embrace the potential of instant communication by trying Textedly for free today. 

Sources: 

ReviewTrackers. Online Review Statistics and Trends: A 2022 Report by ReviewTrackers. https://www.reviewtrackers.com/reports/online-reviews-survey/

Search Engine Journal. How Google Reviews Impact Map Pack & Organic Search Rankings. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-reviews-impact-rankings/429783/ 

Search Engine Journal. Google Local Pack: What Is It?. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-local-pack/463476/ 

Qualtrics. Online Reviews Statistics to Know in 2022. https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/online-review-stats/