3 Huge Reasons Why Negative Ratings Help SEO and Online Reputation Management

This post has been sponsored by ReviewInc, the views expressed in this article are those of the sponsor.

Receive that notification of a new review in your inbox.

Next, hold your breath and recite a short prayer before opening the email.

You are preparing for a negative review.

Business owners like you regularly experience this fear; you know that a picture can say a thousand words – so can a magazine (even with a character limit).

We know that consumers rely heavily on reviews for their business decisions.

So, your first thought may be to put your best foot forward and avoid any negativity like the plague.

Should I Remove Negative Reviews?

You may be surprised, but no, don’t delete negative reviews.

It sounds counterintuitive, but trust us – negative reviews have a very positive impact on your brand, sales and search engine results page (SERP) visibility.

Can Bad Reviews Be Good?

Yes! Bad reviews can be very good, especially when it comes to online reviews.

Why Is Some Negativity Good When It Comes To Online Reviews?

Incredibly, having too many positive reviews can be a red flag for consumers.

More people will rate it 4.7 than a perfect 5-star rating, according to a review by ReviewInc.

This is because some companies “gamble,” counterfeit, or provide payment and exchanges for positive reviews – and customers know this.

Clients know when something feels too good to be true, and when that happens, they often decide to take their business elsewhere.

In addition, the FTC has a lot to say about corrupt customers for good system reviews and games (and what they have to say is not what you want to hear).

That said, a good rating that includes negative reviews is a strong indicator of authenticity, regardless of platform.

We know what you think next.

How Often Do People Leave Bad Reviews?

The good news is that bad reviews are not as common as you might think.

In 2022, ReviewInc conducted a survey and found that 65% of people do not leave negative reviews when they have a negative experience.

It is also interesting to note that there was no measurable difference in sex; all sexes reported an equal rate of avoiding writing negative reviews.

In other words, the probability of getting a positive review is much higher than getting a negative review.

Based on overall reviews from ReviewInc, 92% of reviews are positive (and 96% of positive reviews are rated 5 stars).

Less than 5% of 1-star reviews.

Results from ReviewInc Google Survey, January 2022

So, what are some of the reasons why negative reviews are good for your business?

Immerse yourself in how negative reviews can actually boost your brand.

How Negative Reviews Help SEO & Online Reputation Management

By keeping your negative reviews in place and managing those reviews with online review management tools, your star ratings can:

1. Negative Reviews Provide Authentic SEO

Reviews and ratings on sites like Google, Facebook and Yelp factor in Google search engine optimization rankings.

Google describes how reviews play a prominent role in SEO ranking. In particular, “High quality positive reviews from your customers can improve the visibility of your business and increase the likelihood that a buyer will visit your site.”

Encouraging all reviews and responding to them is a good practice that will improve your local SEO and your online reputation.

When it comes to negative reviews, they tend to provide the necessary balance, as an abundance of false “positive” reviews or biased reviews can result in all reviews being suspended by a key review site that has a heavy impact on SEO. .

Regardless, don’t be afraid of a negative review, there is good news.

2. Negative Reviews Build Brand Trust & Loyalty

“The average review score on Yelp is 3.65, which is the lowest of these platforms. The average reviews on other major platforms are 4.42 on Facebook, 4.3 on Google and 4.25 on TripAdvisor (Neil Patel)

While those numbers, especially on Yelp, may seem scary, the truth is that reviews are trust-building mechanisms that help customers know what to put before they buy.

In short, bad reviews are a necessary ingredient of authenticity, which in the end can lead to more sales.

The trick is to use a nice response, which:

With this technique, a previously bad reviewer can upgrade their review to a higher star rating.

According to the Google guide, “When responding to reviews, post publicly as your business. Responses may not appear on Google immediately. However, critics will receive a notification when they respond to their review. to read your answer, they can update their review.

How do you respond to negative reviews?

We know that bad reviews often sound like bad news, but a well-made response can offset the effect.

Responding appropriately to a negative review can also be seen by other customers.

How you handle the situation will matter more than the negative reviews. (Here are some tips for responding to a negative review).

Responding to the reviews shows that a company cares about its service and reputation.

The only answer is trust in a company.

3. Negative Reviews Help Improve Business Operations & Profits

So, what about that 1 star review?

There is a real benefit from negative reviews and what should be their intention.

Negative reviews tell a company what it needs to repair and improve.

This is particularly important in today’s competitive environment.

Sometimes criticism can make us better as individuals and businesses.

If a customer has a frustrating experience and is writing a review, it will draw your attention to a problem that you have not noticed:

Not all bad reviews need to end a business – they can be an opportunity to improve and strengthen customer service.

How To Manage All Your Reviews

The high importance of online reviews and star ratings makes it necessary to have an online reputation management strategy.

It’s vital to monitor your reviews, live for more reviews, and have a strategy for responding to all reviews.

After all, your response might influence a negative review to change to a positive one.

This strategy will increase both the reputation of the company and its SEO.

With reputation management software, companies can have a team that monitors their online reputation and all reviews left.

A good service will also have tools that will help you compose answers and manage them.

The software allows your business team to respond quickly and appropriately, so you don’t have to deal with the stress of negative reviews.

Featured Image:: Phoenixns / Shutterstock

Are reviews a ranking factor?

Reviews seem to be the most prominent ranking factor in local search, helping companies to rank well even if they have low quality link profiles. This information comes from the annual study of local SEO ranking factors conducted by Local SEO Guide.

What are the classification factors? The term “Ranking Factors” describes the criteria applied by search engines when evaluating web pages to compile rankings of their search results.

Are reviews a Google ranking factor?

The answer is yes, Google Reviews helps to improve local search ranking. The way customers find and choose businesses has changed dramatically in recent years. In the past, consumers relied primarily on business advertising, previous experience, or advice from family and friends.

How Google reviews affect SEO?

The short answer is yes: Google Reviews can help improve search rankings and overall SEO efforts. Although there are many factors involved in search rankings (over 200, in fact), online customer reviews send a strong signal to search engines that they communicate know-how, authority and trust.

Which factor is considered to be a ranking factor in Google?

In no particular order, the main factors for ranking in Google are: High quality content. Mobile-first. Page experience.

How many reviews increase Google ranking?

Recently, Google lowered the requirements to get star ratings in search, which means you only need a customer-verified review to see star ratings. Once you’ve started receiving reviews on your Google Business page, as well as third-party sites, you’ll need to tell Google.

What are the most important ranking factors?

What are the most important SEO ranking factors?

• A secure and accessible website.
• Page Speed ​​(Including Mobile Page Speed)
• Mobile friendly.
• Domain Age, URL and Authority.
• Optimized content.
• Technical SEO.
• User experience (RankBrain)
• Ligami.

Which is the most important factor that affect the page ranking?

Content is one of the most important SEO ranking factors. Search engines want to provide the best possible results, so give top rankings to sites that have well-researched, in-depth and well-crafted content.

How many ranking factors are there?

You may already know that Google uses more than 200 ranking factors in its algorithm …

What are on page ranking factors?

On-page SEO refers to the elements of SEO that control the web page, or the code of the web page itself. Examples of on-page SEO include content, titles and headers, image optimization, title tags, meta descriptions, structured data, and more.

Which factor is considered to be a ranking factor in Google?

In no particular order, the main factors for ranking in Google are: High quality content. Mobile-first. Page experience.

What are the top 3 Google ranking factors?

Google’s Andrey Lipattsev reveals links, content and RankBrain are the top three ranking signals in Google’s search algorithm.

What are Google ranking factors?

These classification systems consist not of one, but of a whole series of algorithms. To provide the most useful information, search algorithms take into account several factors, including the keywords in your query, the relevance and usability of the pages, the competence of the sources, and your location and parameters.

How do I create a company profile?

What you include in your Company Profile

• Company name.
• Date set.
• Physical address by location.
• Phone and fax numbers.
• Website URL.
• Email address.

What is the company’s profile template? A company profile template is a marketing tool that shows the products, services, and activities of your brand. A powerful company profile presentation should be more than just a brochure. Vibrantly showcase your business and engage with stakeholders on your company’s offerings and unique qualities.

What is included in a company profile?

What is included in a company profile? A company profile includes your business name, the name of your founder, your products and services, the year you were founded, and the reason your company was founded. Once you have established your story, include your mission, vision and values.

What is Google My Business good for?

Provide details and photos of your business, including your location, services, and products. Creating a free profile is a great way to increase your visibility in Google services. Information from your Google Business Profile may appear in Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping.

What is the benefit of Google My Business? What is a Google My Business page? Google My Business gives you the ability to list your business location on Google Maps and local search results. You can display important information about your business, including opening / closing times, contact details, or a link to your website.

Is Google My Business worth it?

Is all the effort worth it? Regardless of whether it is a local, regional, national or international society, the simple answer is YES. Local search is an integral part of any complete digital marketing campaign, and Google My Business is a huge and growing factor.

Is Google My Business really free?

Yes, you are free to create your Business Profile on Google. Create your profile for free, and you can manage your business from Google Search and Maps to start reaching more customers.

Should I use Google My Business if I already have a website?

Website – If you have a business website, make sure you list it. Having a Google Business listing will increase your SEO and drive a considerable amount of monthly traffic to your website. If you don’t have a website, make sure you get one.

Is Google My Business effective?

Complete all the elements of your profile Customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider your business reputable if you have a complete Google Business Profile. They are also 70% more likely to actually visit your site.

How much is a negative review worth?

We know that a negative review will cost the company a total of 30 potential customers. This means that if a customer spends, on average, $ 200 with your business on a single visit, then you lose $ 6000 per year for each negative review of the company.

How badly can a bad review affect your business? Negative reviews can seriously impact your business. Every time a negative review pops up on Google searches, you have the potential to lose customers. 86% of customers are reluctant to buy from companies with negative reviews. Negative reviews ultimately cost you web traffic and revenue.

What is the value of a Google review?

Google reviews can give your business a big boost in credibility without spending a dime. The many benefits of getting Google reviews include Google’s ranking for local SEO, the level of the playing field, increasing your online reputation, and helping mom and pop operations.

Can you make money from Google review?

Users can earn points by posting reviews, adding new posts, or answering survey questions. empower and elevate every day. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Once reviewers earn five points, they reach level two, which offers early access to new Google products and features.

What is the value of an online review?

As such, reviews on Google reviews make customers 38% more likely to visit your site, and 29% more likely to consider buying from you. 56% of consumers click on your full list based strictly on your star rating.

What is the value of a review?

Overall, companies know that online reviews can have a big impact on their brand. 79% of businesses believe that online reviews play a significant role in customer decision making and 58% of businesses say that reviews help identify new opportunities and improvements.

What is the cost of a negative review?

We can quickly calculate that ONE BAD REVIEW will cost you $ 750 to $ 3,000 a year. You can easily enter your average sales to make this calculation simple. And not only does it lose that INITIAL SALE to a NEW CUSTOMER, it also loses all the revenue that the new customer had generated over a time horizon.

Can companies pay to remove bad reviews?

YOU CAN’T REMOVE THE BAD REVIEWS, BUT THE POWER MANAGEMENT THESE NO ONE FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT HAD RESPONDED TO NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT IT JUST MATTERED.

Can you get in trouble for a review?

Typically, the review will describe the customer experience, thus helping potential customers to make informed purchasing decisions. However, if the statement is false or defamatory, a company may pursue legal action against the reviewer for publishing intentionally misleading or negative reviews.