There comes a time when every business launches a new product or service that they’ve spent months working hard on only to have it met with a dreaded negative review. This will make your head spin and you panic as you wonder how it’ll all impact your SEO and if your business will tank because of it. Fortunately, a few bad reviews aren’t the end of the world. In fact, this can help your SEO.
How Negative Reviews Help Your SEO
There are several reasons why this statement is a fact, including the fact that they:
- Increase your overall number of reviews: This is important when people search for a business “near me.” Google’s local reviews show how many reviews the business has overall as a type of social proof for your business. It’s important to have diverse opinions (even negative reviews) here so your business appears legitimate.
- Increase your credibility: When you don’t have anything but positive reviews, your consumers will grow suspicious. Some studies have found that consumers believe negative reviews more than they believe the positive ones. This is why you should have a good mix of good, moderate, and bad reviews to show you’re trustworthy.
- Give you an opportunity to build relationships with your customers: You get feedback that you can act on here. When a consumer brings an issue to you, it’s important to see it as an opportunity for improvement. Responding appropriately shows your customer you value them and their feedback – something that will make them feel more comfortable doing business with you again in the future.
- Help with local SEO: Google is quite blatant in this fact. They see this as your opportunity to demonstrate your willingness and ability to manage your online reputation by responding appropriately to negative reviews – something they put a lot of weight on.
- Offer a more accurate picture of your business: Customers are disappointed when a business doesn’t meet their expectations. This is the main reason why they complain and why people search for these complaints. They want to see and understand what your company does and doesn’t offer. This also helps ensure your customers know what they’re getting before they buy so you won’t receive a high return volume. With a mix of reviews, they’ll be able to form a more balanced opinion of your offerings. You’ll also appear more trustworthy – like a place where they want to spend time and this is also important for SEO.
- Can drive your SEO and content marketing: Take time to really understand every bad review you receive. Doing so will help you find answers to what your consumers want that you’re not already delivering; what promises you’re breaking; and what searches led customers to your site in the first place. With this information in mind you can start creating blog and social media posts addressing each issue. This won’t only let your audience see that you understand them, but it’ll also decrease the number of complaints you receive while also increasing your SEO.
Embrace Negative Reviews
Now you see why negative reviews also have a good side to them and how they can help you reach your business goals. They’re a great way to help you show that your business is responsive, trustworthy, and real – if you use them correctly. Of course, these are just a few of the many great reasons why you should stop worrying about receiving negative reviews. Great businesses will still shine through here because the positive will far outweigh the negative. For help getting all the positive reviews you can muster, contact The Local SEO Company today.
