The importance of online reviews isn’t anything new, right? You know this already. You also probably know how powerful Google reviews are for getting discovered organically in search engine results and gaining the trust of those visitors with social proof that converts them into customers.

…Pretty basic stuff these days.

But what you may not know is how to optimize your reviews and replies to reviews to make their reach go even farther and their impact even greater on the success of your business. So, let’s quickly chat about how you can optimize your online reviews, especially the all-powerful Google reviews!

Expert Tips to Optimize Your Online Reviews

With tools and technology nowadays, it’s easier than ever to get more reviews, but it’s still up to you to make them count. Optimized reviews means better rankings, more trust, and most importantly, more customers.

Here are 3 ways to optimize your reviews:

1. Include Keywords

First, if you’re not familiar with keywords, study up here. Reviews that are keyword-optimized are crucial to your discoverability, relevancy, and ranking in search engine results! Google even includes snippets of reviews in search results when the review mentions the User’s search terms, since they know a business is relevant to the user based off of previous reviews.

Plus, as AI continues to grow in use and application, user generated content or human content, is becoming increasingly more important, and Google knows it. That’s why Google is continuing to find ways to prioritize reviews (making up approximately 20% of your local SEO strategy for showing up in results). This is also why businesses are finding a Reddit presence increasingly more important to their business success FYI, because user generated content is the future of marketing.

Nevertheless, encouraging your customers to leave keywords in their reviews is a simple, yet strategic way to increase their reach and power. Customers often do this organically when they’re exceptionally happy, “Bart is the best concrete contractor in Utah. I’d recommend him to anyone looking for a new concrete RV pad or whatever you need, I promise he can do it!”

But of course, you can also encourage the use of keywords by referencing the product or service the customer purchased in your review request to them, such as “Hey Molly, what do you think about your [breathwork meditation experience, new concrete patio, first small group personal training session, capoeira lessons, etc. etc.]?” It prompts them to repeat it in their response. You can also reference keywords and their synonyms in your replies to reviews.

Email us to find out how we can help you get more keywords in your reviews.

2. Add Images

Images add a ton of value to reviews and your Google Business Profile in general. Images added to reviews also get added to the media section of your profile (which like reviews, requires consistent optimization), so when a customer adds images in their review, it’s like feeding two birds with one scone (just heard this positive twist on the old colloquialism and couldn’t resist using it here) 😊

Case and point: People and algorithms love photos, so encourage your customers to snap a photo and include it in their review. Which means you have to be asking for reviews, right? We can help you automate that, schedule a strategy call here.

For all our partners selling on exploringnotboring.com — not only do photos & videos added to your reviews get added to the media section on your listing page, create social proof, and add to the appeal of your offer, but you can also use this content in your marketing. This means, we make it easier than ever to gather user generated content to promote your offerings, boost social proof, and grow your sales on and off our marketplace.

3. Gather Reviews Around Town

Google pays attention to every review’s meta data, which reveals the location that review came from. If you’re trying to rank in a particular city, gaining reviews from people in that city will greatly increase your chances of ranking there. This is especially important for service area businesses!

Are you ready to optimize your reviews?

Remember, optimized reviews mean better rankings, more trust, and more customers. Through our smart tools and automations, we can help you optimize your reviews and grow your online reputation effortlessly. Of course, you can always opt to implement these strategies manually, asking for reviews, sharing Googles QR code to make leaving a review convenient, on and on. . . or you can always schedule a Strategy Call with us to learn how we can automate it all for you.