Why is having a Google Business Profile important? How can Google Reviews impact my ranking on the map listings?
Everyone needs a digital media strategy, and not for the reasons you may expect. In fact, if you think digital strategies are just promotional, think again.
Business related statistics
- 61% of businesses say that generating traffic and leads is their number one challenge.
- 50% of business owners have seen incorrect information in their local listings.
- 64% of small businesses have a local SEO presence.
Clearly, as with most businesses, generating leads and traffic is a challenge. Having an optimized Google Business Profile and incorporating local SEO into your strategy is imperative. While businesses can certainly optimize and manage their GBP on their own, partnering with and having a knowledgeable, dedicated and committed agency working with you to grow your business can be a huge benefit and elevate you above your competitors. A knowledgeable and dedicated SEO agency like BOLD VISION SEO that is familiar with all of the intricacies involved in GBP optimization can help you navigate your business to the top of the rankings.
With 64% of small businesses having a local SEO presence, your competition is utilizing this to your advantage, so why aren’t you? Since competition remains high, and is likely to become even more competitive, teaming with a digital growth agency can help take your business to the next level. The most important thing that you receive in return? Time and peace of mind. Crafting and implementing a solid SEO strategy, whether local or organic, takes diligent and informed research and time. We give that time back to you and your business that you would otherwise have to dedicate to learning the SEO realm and working on implementing a strategic plan. We all offer your business peace of mind knowing that you have an ally that is 100% dedicated to your success and your growth. “Good enough” isn’t good enough for Sun Tzu SEO. Far too often, we’ve come across businesses working with a digital marketing agency that is “doing ok” and receiving average results, which simply isn’t good enough. You deserve the best return on your investment, and we are dedicated to providing that to your business.
The importance of reviews
- 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.
- More than 50% of consumers won’t use a business that has less than a 4-star rating.
- People are willing to pay 22% more for a local product or service if the business has a good online reputation.
- “In the Old Days” -
Traditionally, most local businesses and service providers relied on referrals and personal recommendations as their main source of driving new traffic and new customers. In the days of the yellow pages that contained little in-depth information about a business from an objective outside source, word of mouth and recommendations from another person who had previous dealings with a business or company was king. Makes complete sense, since someone is sharing their actual interaction with the company, which puts a potential client at ease that the business has provided well in the past. With the evolution of the internet, online reviews from other customers and clients have become increasingly important. Instead of just relying on those within a person’s social circle to provide a review or referral for a local company, potential clients can now go online to research reviews from consumers in all facets of society to determine trust of a local business they are interested in utilizing. Now, personal reviews and recommendations are still very much important and always will be, particularly in certain service areas such as home services, but consider this: Think of online reviews in the same vein as a personal referral. Developing quality online reviews gives you a whole new network of referrals to build upon.
The importance of having and maintaining a good online reputation cannot be stressed enough. Just like “the old days”, your reputation will precede you. Whether you have a good reputation or a bad reputation, it will follow you. Your online reviews are a builder of trust for your potential customers and clients. If a prospective consumer researches your company online, and you have all 5-star reviews, they are much more likely to inquire further and pursue your services. As the statistics indicate above, more than 50% of those consumers won’t do business with you if your business has less than a 4-star rating. So, building your reviews is important, but it’s also important that you respond to those reviews and address any negative reviews that you receive. Google (more specifically, the Google algorithm) likes to see business’s that have regular interaction with their GBP and consumers. Consumers like this as well, since they know that a business is attentive and responsive to their customers. If you do happen to receive a negative review, respond to it. Do your best to resolve it. If you are unable to do so, there are steps that can be taken to address them. A knowledgeable SEO agency can assist you with reputation management and mitigating the impact of negative reviews.
