Online reviews are undoubtedly an important part of any modern digital marketing strategy. The average consumer spends nearly 14 minutes reading reviews before deciding on a business and a staggering 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review if the business simply asks them to!
But how do reviews impact on actual click through rates (CTR)?
More often than not, the overall star rating is a deciding factor for consumers when browsing the web. Therefore, it makes sense that showing reviews and ratings in search engine results and on key product web pages influences click through rates.
Google is clearly one of the biggest search engines around, so it makes sense to try and reach a prominent position on the platform.
Collecting and sharing honest and verified opinions on your business and services not only builds credibility and trust with potential customers, but also builds trust with Google. Essentially, you’re providing external evidence that your business is authentic and trustworthy.
Google wants to present valuable search results to its users and so building your domain authority and boosting verified reviews will help boost your position within the search engine. As a result, you’ll show up more often in searches and have a higher chance of enjoying a higher click through rate.
Off-page SEO is vital, too. Be sure to build those inbound links with other credible websites – for example, write a guest post for a reputable media publication in your sector.
Local businesses take note!
It’s not just eCommerce retailers that should consider this information. Local businesses can make great use of Google Maps and the Google My Business feature. Having customer reviews displayed on your site and in prominent positions that can be seen by the search engine can all help boost your performance. Likewise, any result showing a clear star rating in Google My Business results will almost certainly have a higher click through rate. The screenshot below shows how star ratings appear in local Google Map searches.
3+ star ratings are key
From numerous studies carried out by multiple eCommerce groups, it seems that a positive star rating of 3+ stars has a positive impact on click-through rates. Going from a 3-star to a 5-star rating can earn a business 25% more clicks on Google Local (Google Maps/My Business local search). This alone justifies the extra investment of time and effort to generate more positive reviews.
More reviews, more credibility, more clicks
Put simply, the more clicks, the more important Google deems your site, and the higher it climbs in search results. That’s why it’s important to raise your visibility and gather those customer reviews.
Creating fresh content is extremely important too, so generating more reviews can be a relatively easy way to do this.
A platform like HelpfulCrowd can help boost your customer review collection rates, giving you more user-generated content to share online. Sign up for a free demo today to see how the eCommerce marketing platform can help your business.
