Google reviews are —perhaps surprisingly — the single most discussed topic in small business marketing right now. Google appears to be prioritizing reviews more than ever. Google ratings and reviews now play the most dominant role in where a businesses local listing will rank after a Google search.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss why reviews are so important and how to get more of them.

Why Google Reviews Matter?

Every industry has review sites. If you’re a law firm, you’re familiar with Facebook, AVVO, Yelp and other review sites. If you’re in the wedding or event industry, you’re families with Wedding Wire, The Knot, and other sites. The list goes on and on.

And it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Which sites should I get reviews on? Which ones matter? Can I use those reviews across various sites?

Don’t be overwhelmed. Regardless of the industry-specific sites that you might think are important, Google is the only one that really matters.

97% of people go to Google FIRST when they want to find a business. It doesn’t matter if that business is a law firm, a dealership, an event venue, a tire shop, or a car repair shop. Consumers go to Google first.

Don’t get confused.

Google is the only one that matters. Why? Because 97% of consumers go to Google first when they want to find a business. (The possible exception to this might be Yelp for restaurants).

And Google determines their rankings based almost exclusive on ratings and reviews. Nothing else matters.

When someone searches on Google they are generally see a Google Map with all the red dots of verified GMB profiles, then a list of 3-6 business GMB listings. Those listings—which ones appear AND the order in which they appear—are based on the quality and quantity of reviews. For instance, a business with a 4.7 star review average and 180 reviews is going to be ahead of a business with a 3.8 star rating average and 120 reviews.

Why More Reviews Equates to More Clicks

Data from Kenect and Google indicate the same thing: businesses higher up on Google’s results page get more clicks. Data from Google shows that the top listing gets 50% of the total clicks, and the top 3 get 98% of the total clicks.

Bottom line: if you are not in the top 3, you will not get clicked.

Reviews Basics

- Quantity – Businesses NEED to have at least 50 reviews in order to be taken seriously by Google. That may sound daunting for SMBs, but you can do it! Develop an internal process to get more reviews immediately. And, if you need a boost, text everyone who bought from you in the last 3-4 years and ask them for a review as well. You’ll get to 50!

- Recency – You have to continually get new reviews. Reviews get stale and old after 90 days. Always and continually get new reviews.

In future blog posts we’ll talk about the process to get more reviews, how to deal with negative reviews, and more about your GMB page.

‍