How Do Google Reviews Help SEO? (Key Factors)

Do you remember how many times you tried to see your business in the first positions of Google search result?

It could be hundreds of times, with some successful and failed attempts. We got you!

The thing is, there are facts that help you with your SEO. But let’s talk about one of the most important ones: do Google reviews help SEO?

The answer is YES!

Google Business Platform is the largest and most popular platform to verify a company and its services or products. It specifically can play an impact on your SEO and rank results of your website for targeted search terms.

Let’s try to understand, how Google review and SEO are connected!

Why Google reviews are important for SEO

Google reviews are the customer reviews of your businesses, services, products, or locations that are published on Google. To get the Google reviews, you’ll need a business account, you can see your customer reviews on Google’s Business Profile.

Also, on search results or Google Maps results, these reviews will appear.

“If you ask are unaware of how people are dependent on online reviews, well, 81% of them, use Google to check online reviews about local business.”

Data collected from BrighLocal

The number itself says how Google reviews are important for them to trust a business. Starting from gaining trust to more conversion rate, impact on SEO, and more, Google reviews play the lead role in keeping a business’s reputation up and ahead of the competition.

By the time, the importance of Google reviews has owned the time and shown us how Google reviews help SEO.

Impact of Local SEO on Business Success

Local SEO is a strategy that ensures your business is seen in Google search ranking. A strong strategy for this is utilizing the power of Google reviews. It’s easy for customers to find local services and products whenever they open their search bar.

Here Google reviews comes, that can make the difference in your SEO strategy and local search ranking!

So, what are the facts that determine your business to appear on the first search results? Google chooses to show your business on search ranking depending on their relevance, distance, and prominence with Google reviews that match all the criteria.

Key factors Google wants to see in your reviews

Some key elements that are responsible for impacting local SEO by Google reviews and ratings; or you can say these are the elements Google wants to see in your reviews:

Average review rating

Higher ratings improve trust and help in increasing your local SEO ranking. And how does it work?

This is the first thing that Google will look for, the ratings. When Google sees customers trust you, it gives more value.

No matter how you promote your brand say it’s best, Google will only look at your website if you have positive reviews, and rank your pages for targeted search terms.

Number of reviews

Remember the last time you took a service/product and how you checked reviews? Was there only one review that could make you trust that service/product?

It’s true people want to see good reviews from previous users. But when they see your business has a higher number of reviews than others it weighs the credibility of your business.

In short, a larger quantity of reviews improves the reliability and helps your business rank better in local search.

Freshness of reviews

Fresh reviews show that your business is up-to-date, active, and continuously delivering value to customers. When potential customers see recent feedback, they feel reassured that your service or product is still performing well.

Fresh reviews also send positive signals to Google, that indicates your business is still relevant in its industry. It’s like showing Google and your audience that you’re constantly working to meet customer needs.

Moreover, your most recent reviews show that your business is active and relevant, which positively impacts SEO.

Use of keywords

The use of keywords in reviews plays a major role in showing how well your business shows up in Google search results. When customers include terms that people often search for specific products, services, or locations, it signals to Google that your business is relevant to those searches.

This factor of Google reviews affects SEO ranking and determines that your business is actively serving its audience’s needs!

It’s not just about quantity but about quality, as Google values reviews that provide helpful, keyword-rich information, that reflects your business’s ability to meet customer expectations.

Review responses

Responding to reviews is the smartest strategy to show both customers and Google that you’re engaged and care about feedback.

When you take the time to respond, whether it’s just a “thank you” for positive feedback or addressing concerns in negative reviews, it builds trust. Customers feel prioritized, and new customers believe that you take good care of your clients.

From Google’s perspective, this interaction reflects good customer service, which can boost your search rankings. Active participation in conversations with your audience reflects that your business is responsive, builds your online reputation overall, and improves local SEO visibility.

Quality of reviews

High-quality reviews that provide detailed information and specific insights go beyond generic feedback and make a stronger impact.

When your customers share their personal experiences, mention specific products, or highlight unique aspects of your business, it gives new customers a clearer picture of what they can expect from you.

Google values this level of detail because it helps differentiate genuine reviews from vague or automated ones. Detailed reviews also add authority and relevance to your business, which can help your SEO performance by showing Google that your business is trustworthy and provides valuable experiences to users.

Display Google reviews to help in Local SEO

Displaying Google reviews on your website plays a major role in local SEO. Besides, gathering positive reviews, and following the all above-mentioned factors, showing Google reviews on your business site demonstrates authenticity.

You can reach to larger audience by showcasing the reviews on the website which increases user engagement. Also, it shows to Google that your business is active and highly regarded by real people.

Embedding reviews help drive more organic traffic and can significantly improve your ranking in local search results. It helps you create a stronger connection between your website’s content and the customer experience shared through these reviews.

Manage reviews on a website with a Google review widget

Once you understand the value of displaying reviews for local SEO, managing them becomes simple with a Google review plugin.

WP Social Ninja is the best tool to help you manage and display Google reviews on your website. Its key features include customizable templates,display options like sliders or grids, and the ability to showcase reviews from 10+ platforms like Google, Facebook, WooCommerce, connect multiple business account, and more.

With this WordPress Google reviews widget, you can easily highlight the best customer feedback, customize the layout, and get a larger audience reach while improving your SEO.

Here’s how you can start with WP Social Ninja:

Step 1: Download and Install WP Social Ninja on your WordPress website

Step 2: On the WP Social Ninja dashboard, choose Google Business Profile from Social Reviews section

Step 3: Follow the configuration steps and connect your Google account

Step 4: Now, customize your Google reviews template and style options from the settings panel

Step 5: Next, save the template, and copy the shortcode, and paste it on the page you want to show on your website

You can get details on our blog about how to embed Google reviews on website with WP Social Ninja.

Get more reviews by adding a review button

People are influenced by others, and displaying reviews encourages new ones. Adding a CTA can make this law a bit more easier!

With WP Social Ninja, you can add a review button directly on your website, to make it easy for customers to leave feedback. This call-to-action button invites visitors to share their thoughts after making a purchase.

Pro tip: To get even more reviews, ask for reviews from satisfied customers personally or via email, and offer simple ways to leave feedback, like including links in follow-up messages. You can make the process quick and rewarding to ensure a higher engagement.

Schema Snippet for better SEO with WP Social Ninja

Managing Google reviews is easier with WP Social Ninja, but it offers more than just showcasing feedback. To improve your Google ranking, the plugin includes a powerful schema snippet feature. 

This Google reviews plugin allows you to add structured data to your site, which will help Google understand your content better. By simply enabling the feature and entering your business credentials, your business becomes more visible in search results, and will grab more attention!

To wrap up: Does Google review really help SEO?

Lastly, while you’re utilizing Google reviews on SEO strategy, remember Google’s search algorithms are designed to prioritize businesses that show they’re relevant and trustworthy.

When you have both positive and negative Google Reviews, the search engine considers that your business delivers quality products or services based on the positive ones. This connection makes it clear that Google Reviews plays a significant role in ranking factors.

Also, having a greater number of reviews, and responding thoughtfully can improve your visibility in search results. Even when you receive negative reviews, these can turn them into opportunities for strengthening your brand’s reputation.

Don’t forget that tools like WP Social Ninja can help you effectively display your Google Reviews on your website, and you can make them a vital part of your SEO strategy. Using this WordPress social media/ business review plugin will easily let you connect with potential customers and improve your online presence.

FAQ

How do reviews impact my website’s SEO?

​​Reviews impact your website’s SEO by raising its authority and relevance in search results. Positive and a good amount of reviews can improve your local rankings, as they work as proof to search engines that your business is trustworthy. Additionally, the volume and quality of reviews play a significant role in enhancing your visibility online.

How can I get more reviews to improve my SEO?

To get more reviews and boost your SEO, start by asking satisfied customers directly for their feedback. Implement a review button on your website to make it easy for them. You can also offer incentives like discounts for future purchases. Also, engage with customers on social media, and encourage them to share their experiences.

What determines Google search ranking?

Besides Google reviews, Google search ranking is determined by several factors, which include relevance to search queries, quality of content, website usability, and backlinks from other reputable sites. Key elements like page speed, mobile-friendliness, and user engagement also play crucial roles. Google uses algorithms to evaluate these aspects, to ensure that users receive the most accurate and valuable information in their search results.

How does Google rank the most relevant reviews?

Google ranks reviews by looking at their relevance, quality, and how recent they are. Reviews that include important keywords about a business’s products or services get more attention. Detailed and insightful reviews are considered as more valuable. The recent reviews show that a business is active and up-to-date. Together, these factors help decide which reviews show up first in search results.