Google increases the importance of reviews
The “other” event of the weekend (apart from my 63rd birthday celebrations) was the announcement that, with immediate effect, Google are going to increase the variety of reviews they include in organic search to include:
their own Google reviews
“critics’ reviews (that means you and I reviewing in places like Facebook)
reviews from the web (that means proprietorial customer review sites like TripAdvisor and also industry specific reviews like WhatClinic, comparethtreatment and so on)
Add that to the recent announcement from Google that they are placing more emphasis on the quantity of reviews you have as well as the quality.
Pundits are suggesting that over 100 reviews are now a necessity for those chasing organic visibility (in addition to all that magical SEO stuff).
Readers will know that I’m a bigger fan of organic search that “paid for” media as my clients constantly suggest that the quality of the enquiries generated by the former are superior.
Google’s latest movement of their goalposts sets the scene very clearly for the importance of reviews – which is, in effect, digital word of mouth.
Users of Exact who have purchased their excellent module “Reputation Manager” will have part of this process automated but the savvy business owner will realise that the chase for (and moderation of) reviews across multiple sites is now an essential part of your marketing strategy.
Do you have a protocol to ask and are you measuring the effectiveness of that protocol (and identifying potential reviewers) in your daily huddle?
Reviews can shape more than customer perception; they also give businesses useful signals about recurring service issues. I’ve seen companies focus heavily on collecting positive feedback while overlooking unanswered complaints, which can create a very different impression to prospective customers. A balanced online reputation management Dubai approach should include monitoring reviews, responding calmly, identifying patterns, and improving the underlying customer experience. The response matters, but fixing the reason behind repeated criticism matters even more.
A post about Google increasing the importance of reviews fits any service where trust is built from real user stories, not just company promises. With accountability software, https://www.pissedconsumer.com/ever-accountable/RT-F.html#google_vignette brings attention to the parts people usually care about after signing up: setup, privacy, billing, reports, cancellation, and support replies. Reviews matter more when a product touches personal habits or family rules. Nobody wants vague answers around something that already feels sensitive, so clear customer feedback becomes part of the decision.