SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a priority for every business – it is as vital to your reputation as your customer reviews. Having your website at the top of the search engine results pages means that customers are more likely to see it, click through, and buy from you. Displaying customer reviews helps give people confidence in their purchase.
But customer reviews do more than just influence buying decisions – they can significantly impact the performance of your SEO efforts. Reviews are a powerful signal to search engines that a business is credible, relevant, and customer-oriented, all of which can lead to better search rankings. Not only that, but customer feedback naturally includes keywords that are related to the business, product, and service, as well as providing user-generated content that search engines value.
Used in the right way, reviews can boost SEO in other ways too, including building trust and authority, improving click-through rates, reducing bounce rates, and enhancing local SEO.
Why SEO is important
Over half of website visits start from search engines - ranking well for pertinent searches brings more you more relevant visitors. SEO also strengthens brand authority, since appearing consistently in search results helps you gain user trust and awareness.
Despite the increase in AI search results, SEO remains crucial to drive organic visibility. Although there are huge advancements in voice search, mobile-first indexing, and AI, current recommendations are to continue to use SEO techniques to align with how users search – so you can’t afford to ignore it if you want to stay ahead.
All about Google’s guidelines on EEAT
If you search for SEO, it doesn’t take long to encounter EEAT, which sounds like it is going to be really complicated – but it isn’t. EEAT simply means you need to display Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses these guidelines to evaluate all the content on the web. They help Google ensure that the search results it provides are valuable, credible, and relevant to users.
To meet Google EEAT guidelines, your website content should demonstrate:
- Experience: To reflect firsthand knowledge or experience on the subject.
- Expertise: The content creator should be knowledgeable in the topic, demonstrating skill or qualifications.
- Authoritativeness: Credibility is key, often reflected through established reputation and recognition in the field.
- Trustworthiness: Accuracy and reliability are critical, including transparency about sources, authorship, and updates.
Google’s guidelines prioritise people-first content that aligns with user intent and is backed by a credible source. That means you need to display trustworthy and useful information on important topics, and there should be absolutely no spammy links or keyword stuffing.
How reviews help SEO
While there’s a long list of jobs to do to ensure your SEO is performing well, displaying customer reviews is one thing that can be easily managed once you have the right systems in place. Here’s why you should be displaying feedback to enhance your SEO.
Customer reviews build trust and authority with search engines
Customer reviews are a powerful tool for building trust and authority with both users and search engines. When people leave positive feedback on your website, it signals to search engines that your business provides quality products or services and enhances your search visibility.
Reviews also serve as fresh, user-generated content, naturally rich in relevant keywords, which search engines value to determine authenticity. High ratings and a consistent flow of genuine reviews enhance your credibility and online authority, helping to attract more customers and improve search rankings organically by reinforcing how reliable your business is.
You’ll increase click-through rates with star ratings
Adding star ratings to search results can significantly improve click-through rates (CTR) by making listings stand out visually and enhancing credibility. Star ratings immediately communicate customer satisfaction, drawing attention and increasing the likelihood that users will click on that result over others without ratings.
Star ratings act as social proof, helping users quickly gauge product or service quality. Higher CTR brings in more traffic, but also signals to search engines that the page is valuable, potentially contributing to improved search rankings over time.
Bounce rates are reduced with authentic, engaging content
Authentic, engaging content plays a crucial role in reducing bounce rates by encouraging users to stay on a page longer and explore further. When content is tailored to answer users’ needs or interests, it creates a more satisfying experience, leading visitors to engage more deeply with the site. This could mean incorporating storytelling, visuals, or interactive elements that captivate attention – and of course, recent, relevant customer reviews.
High-quality, relevant content builds trust and provides value, which helps prevent visitors from leaving quickly but also signals to search engines that the site offers valuable, user-centric information.
Local SEO performs better with customer reviews
Customer reviews are essential for improving local SEO by boosting credibility and relevance in local search results. Positive reviews help local businesses appear more trustworthy, which can increase visibility in “near me” searches and map results.
User-generated content such as reviews often contains keywords related to location and services, which reinforces relevance for search engines. A consistent stream of reviews strengthens the business’s online authority and encourages customer trust, driving more foot traffic and enquiries from local searchers who want reliable options near to them.
Should you have open or closed reviews for SEO?
Both types of reviews are beneficial for SEO, for different reasons.
In most cases, closed reviews are likely to be better for SEO, as they are usually more relevant. With closed reviews, only genuine customers can give their feedback, meaning fake reviews are less of an issue. Because of the higher credibility of reviews, there’s more likely to be better user engagement, increasing time on page and reducing bounce rate.
However, open platforms may allow you to collect more feedback from your customers – which for some companies might be desirable. But be aware that on these platforms, anyone can leave a review, including someone who hasn’t used your business or your products. Whatever the reason it is left – whether it is with ill intention or not – fake feedback can damage your reputation. If there’s a review that is clearly not real, or has been left for the wrong reasons, then customers won’t know whether the rest of your reviews can be trusted either.
As search engines like both closed and open review collection for different reasons, it might be worth collecting both. Many Feefo clients – particularly in industries where customers might need additional reassurance, such as the financial sector – use another provider as well.
Maximising the impact of customer reviews for SEO
To make the most of customer reviews for SEO, you’ll need to implement strategies that encourage your customers to leave feedback. That means responding to every review, and using review content in the right places – throughout the customer journey, on your social media, and in your paid ads. User generated content is so valuable on your website, boosting visibility and adding value for your customers – which is what great SEO content is about. By prioritising reviews, you’ll boost SEO, increase customer trust, and solidify your online presence.
Want to know more, or to discuss how easy it is to implement verified reviews across your marketing? Get in touch.
