Good morning, watch your reviews,
If you’ve got local business profiles set up in Google My Business, take a look at your GMB listings from the local pack. You may see a carousel of reviews showing prominently on your local business profile. Google confirmed to us yesterday that the carousels may show if you have enough high-quality reviews. They may also show for Q&As.
Speaking of reviews, they continue to have a big impact on consumers — even as they are more aware of review fraud. That’s according to a new BrightLocal survey that also found local search is on the rise, with younger users searching more often. Most consumers said they read reviews surfaced in search before they visit the website or physically visit a location. Recency and overall star ratings were the two most important features of reviews.
Whether your business is online, physical or omnichannel, you’re likely to see that most of your customers’ reviews are positive. Best practice is to ask all your customers for reviews (in an ethical way) on an ongoing basis across the sites that matter to your industry. In addition, respond to your customers’ reviews — especially if they’re negative, advises Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling.
Keep reading for a Pro Tip from PPC veteran Fred Vallaeys on testing.
Ginny Marvin
Editor-In-Chief
