Local businesses needgoogle reviews to help build and maintain a positive online reputation. These reviews also increase the visibility of merchants and show potential customers the credibility they need to make a purchase. However, the number of Google reviews may vary depending on your specific objectives.
Before talking about these objectives, we need to keep a few things in mind.
- The quality of your reviews counts: you want real reviews, from real customers.
- Positive reviews are, of course, preferred; but the occasional negative review reinforces your credibility.
- Having no reviews doesn't help your business at all. You need at least a few reviews to prove your business exists.
- Google's algorithms change frequently, so reviews should be treated like SEO articles.
We'll now look at the optimum number of reviews for each specific objective. One last thing before we begin: the number of reviews applies to each business location.
Display a star bar on Google and Google Maps: 1 review
Like reviews, Google star ratings are a way of visually expressing how much you like your service. According to Google, "review scores" (or the star rating that appears on your Google Business profile in local search) are calculated by averaging the ratings obtained. So, technically, you only need one Google review to generate a star rating. Although, ideally, you should take steps to obtain more than one review.
Improve search rankings: 10 Google tips
If your goal is to improve your company's ranking in local search results, you need an average of 10 reviews. When your business ranks higher in search results, more people can see you. This means you can potentially attract more customers and revenue. Google reviews can therefore play a role in your company's results.
Although there is a correlation between local search ranking and the number of Google reviews, other factors also come into play. These include, for example, theoptimization of your Google Business profile, your website and so on.
That said, getting 10 reviews seems like a good way to improve your company's ranking. Once you've reached those 10 reviews, you should start to see a difference in your rankings. Provided, of course, that your Google Business listing is up to date and optimized, as is your website. Once you've reached 10 reviews, don't stop there; the more the better!
Convert more customers: from 20 to 50 Google reviews
As a business owner, you always want people who find you via a local search to take the next step. There are several actions you can take:
- Click to go to the website.
- Call for more information.
- Booking appointments, tables, etc.
- Launch an itinerary.
Google reviews are an important element in customer conversion. In fact, some studies show that around 88% of consumers consult reviews before making a purchase.
In general, customers want to see lots of reviews, whether for individual products or companies as a whole. The sweet spot for conversion seems to be between 20 and 50 reviews. If you can reach this range of 20 to 50 reviews, you're putting your company on the right track for more customer conversions. In fact, this number of reviews will inspire confidence and lend credibility to your company.
Slow and steady: A long-term vision
Now that you have more concrete figures, you can start working on your Google reviews. But keep in mind that you need to take a long-term view. With Google reviews, you can't afford to slack off.
Don't look for a massive influx of reviews
Massive influxes of reviews are not beneficial. In fact, it increases the risk that Google will classify your business as spam and reduce your visibility. What's more, your review-gathering strategy shouldn't stop overnight. To prove that your business is still active and that your customers are still satisfied, you need to receive ongoing Google reviews.
Target a steady stream of reviews
Setting up a continuous flow of reviews shows Google that your business works, all the time. It proves that your business and your customers are active.
To set up such a flow, it's important to build systems. For example, an automated Google customer review request tool can ensure the collection of feedback over the long term. Read our article How to request a customer review to find out more.
