The internet has become more than just a mecca for online shopping and viral videos — it’s also the way that customers gather information to inform decisions about their daily lives. Product reviews provide crucial information for customers about everything from hotel rooms to the best brand of protein powder to purchase. But having great product reviews on a website is about more than just providing customers with additional information. Quality product reviews are also crucial to SEO.
At A Glance
Did you know that 70% of people read reviews or ratings before purchasing a product? Also, 63% of customers are more likely to buy from a site if it has product ratings and reviews. Product reviews help customers build a sense of trust with a product as well as a brand. Sites such as Amazon even allow shoppers to sort products by the rating that customers have provided in their product reviews. For example, you can search for a digital camera and filter your results only to see products that have an average of four or more stars.
The Benefits of Product Reviews
Aside from helping your customers create a sense of trust with your products and brand, product reviews can be a fantastic way to learn more about your products. Regardless of the amount of time you’ve spent in the research and development of your products, chances are a customer will notice something that you didn’t.
Product Reviews & SEO
Product reviews not only help your business sell products, but they can also help boost your SEO as well. Social media optimization, a type of optimization built around social media, helps increase a brand’s SEO through the use of user-generated content. When customers share products on their social media platforms, the comments, likes, and even hashtags that relate to the brand can help increase your SEO.
How to Gain Reviews
Now that you know that product reviews are essential for your customers and your SEO let’s get to the most crucial question: how do you go about getting reviews from your customers? Although it may sound silly, the best way to get a thoughtful, legitimate product review from your customers is to ask. Many customers have no problem leaving reviews for products they purchase — they don’t remember. Several different website extensions will allow you to create an automated email asking customers for reviews
Make It Easy
Your customer has already purchased a product from you. When asking for something else from your customers, you want to make it as easy as possible. Only request what you need: a name and email address for verification, a rating, and a review. You could also choose to include an option for a photo upload. The easier the process is, the more likely you’ll receive reviews. You can also choose to offer rewards or incentives to encourage customers to participate!
Regardless of how you choose to recruit customers to leave reviews, remember the impact that it has on your SEO. The bottom line? Say yes to product reviews on your site! Want to learn more insider tips on SEO, social media, and content creation? Click here to check out the latest blog posts by Moose May.