You should read this article if...
If you're a local business or a marketing agency owner and need help understanding the role of reviews in your Local search rankings.
So reviews are critical. It can be the difference between gaining new customers or losing them to your competitors.
Think about it this way. Before trying a new restaurant, don't you check out their online reviews? Of course, you do! And, so do your potential customers. Did you know that 87% of people research businesses online before making a purchase decision?
But wait, it gets even better. Did you know that if a business has less than a 4-star rating, 50% of consumers won't buy from them? Ouch! And, if there are bad reviews, it can be even worse. 92% of people have decided not to use a business after reading a negative online review.
Don't worry; I've got your back. In this blog, I'll share everything you need to know about the role of reviews in SEO. We'll cover proven strategies for improving your reputation and tools to help you manage it effectively.
So, hang tight, and let's dive in! I promise to make it engaging, informative, and even a little bit fun. Before I forget, here are quick links to everything we would talk about.
Should You Invest in
- Reputation Management in SEO Summary
- SEO Reputation Management Strategies for Local SEO
- SEO Reputation Management Tools and Software
- The Cost of Reputation Management for SEO
- Should You Invest in Reputation Management for SEO?
Reputation Management in SEO Summary
If you're short on time, here's a quick summary of the article, but I would suggest you go deeper into each section.
Benefits of Reputation Management for Local SEO
Picture this: you're a small business owner in a world where everyone Googles everything, even the meaning of life. You know you need to be found in search results, and that's where your online reputation plays a big part.
A solid online reputation isn't about feeding your ego, it's about SEO.
Here are 4 reasons why:
Here are 4 reasons why:
- Search engines like Google use various factors to determine search rankings. The quantity, quality, and recency of reviews are some of the most critical factors.
- Positive reviews signal to search engines that your business is trustworthy and provides a positive customer experience. It's like telling Google, "Hey, we're more than just a pretty face, we're the real thing!"
- Reviews influence potential customers' decision-making process. 97% of people read reviews when choosing where to spend their money.
- Reviews are a great marketing tool. You can showcase positive reviews on your website and social media profiles to demonstrate your business's value and quality to potential customers.
If you're convinced about the role of reviews in your SEO strategy, I will go deeper into Strategies section below.
Tools and Software for SEO Review Management
There are about 20 review sites and social platforms relevant to local businesses. That's a lot of sites to keep track of and let's face it, you're already juggling a million things.
That's where review management tools come in. They can help you monitor your reviews, respond to customers, and even get more positive reviews.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "But I'm on a tight budget, I can't afford fancy software". Don't worry, these tools are super affordable. My personal favorite ReviewGain (of course!) starts at just $49/month for small businesses.
If you're a marketing agency owner and want to offer reputation + listings management services, white-labeling is the way to go. It's cheaper, more flexible, and less commitment to whitelabel a tool than developing and maintaining your own tool. Plus, you get your own branding on the tool!
Average Cost of SEO Reputation Management
For local businesses, the cost of these tools range from $50 to $500 per month. While for marketing agencies, you can get volume discounts, so prices range from $30/month to $100/month for each client.
Does that seem like a lot of money?
Okay, let's be honest here, the cost of these tools can feel like a punch in the wallet. But think of it this way, it's like investing in a good suit for a job interview. It might hurt a little at first, but the payoff is worth it when you get that job. The same goes for your online reputation. Invest a little now, and you'll see leads rolling in.
If you're interested in comparing costs and features for my personal top 5 reputation tools, jump over to the cost comparison section.
Reputation Management for Local SEO - Strategies
When it comes to building a strong online presence for your local business, there are two key things you need to focus on: reviews and relevant content. Let me explain.
Firstly, reviews are critical for local search. They help build trust and credibility with potential customers, and they also have a big impact on your rankings. In fact, businesses with more reviews tend to get 50% more leads from Local Search and their website.
Secondly, you need to create and share relevant content. This can be anything from blog posts and social media updates to videos and infographics. The key is to create content that is valuable and informative to your target audience.
Let's see how you can get better with your reviews and content.
Creating High-Quality and Relevant Content for Local SEO
First things first, let's talk about social media. Consistency is key! I recommend posting at least 2-3 times a week on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Make your writing interesting and useful for your readers. Use your creativity to engage them and share valuable information. They'll love it!.
Also regularly post your positive reviews on socials, review management tools can help automate this whole process.
Now, let's talk about your website. Your website is your online storefront, so it's important to have content that showcases your business in the best possible way. I suggest having a section on your website showcasing your positive reviews and a blog section.
When it comes to writing content, it's important to focus on what your potential customers are searching for. Think about what questions they might have and create content that answers those questions. Don't forget to include relevant keywords to improve your search rankings!
Lastly, let's talk about conversion. The goal of your content is to not only rank higher in search results but also to convert your audience into leads. Make sure your content is engaging, visually appealing with lots of images, and has a clear call-to-action.
Leveraging Local Business Directories and Review Websites
Reviews are like gold for Local SEO. They not only help you build a positive reputation but also bring in more leads from Local Search and your website.
And the best part? You can use tools to get more reviews, respond to them, and market them on your socials and website.
But don't just sit back and wait for the reviews to come in. Proactively ask your satisfied customers to leave a review on your preferred platform, but especially Google.
Btw, if you, like many other businesses, are most concerned about their reputation on Google. I wrote an in-depth guide on 5 steps to manage your Google recently.
This will not only help build your reputation but also provide valuable feedback that you can use to improve your business.
Responding to reviews is equally important. Whether it's a positive or negative review, always take the time to respond to show your customers that you value their opinion.
53% of customers expect responses to their reviews within an hour.
53% of customers expect responses to their reviews within an hour.
And if it's a negative review, use it as an opportunity to make things right and show that you care about your customers.
Lastly, make sure to promote your positive reviews on your socials and website. This will help attract new customers to your business.
What are the top 5 that help with both SEO & reputation management?
I've got to be honest with you, when it comes to managing your reputation, there's no shortage of tools available. But which ones are worth your time and money?
Top 5 Tools
ReviewGain:
-
Here are the top 3 features you'll love about ReviewGain:
- Get at least 1 review for every 3 customers you ask with their personalized automated review requests via SMS and Email.
- Protect your Google reputation 24/7 with review tracking and AI-suggested responses for quick replies.
- Get more sales by showcasing your reviews on social media and your website, and ranking higher on Google.
- Best part? You get a 14-day free trial, so you can test it out without whipping out your credit card.
Brightlocal:
-
Here are the top features of Brightlocal:
- Citation Building: Brightlocal helps businesses list their websites on local directories using their Citation Burst feature.
- Local Rank Tracker: This tool tracks a business's rank on Google search and suggests ways to improve its rank.
- Review Generation Campaigns: Brightlocal can automatically generate reviews using SMS and email review requests.
- Brightlocal offers a 14-day trial with just an email required to get started.
- I believe Brightlocal and ReviewGain are the only 2 tools on this list that are truly designed for local businesses. If you want to compare these 1-on-1, check out my Brightlocal vs ReviewGain blog.
GradeUs:
-
Here are the top 3 features of GradeUs:
- Review request campaigns via text and email.
- Instant email review alerts for new reviews.
- Reputation marketing.
- You can try it out for free with their 14-day trial (be prepared to fork over your work email address).
- But beware of their steep price tag for both local businesses and the complete whitelabel setup. More on that below.
Podium:
-
Here are the top 3 features:
- Generating reviews: Podium can run automated review campaigns on both SMS and email.
- Webchat: With Podium Webchat, you can contact your customers and website visitors through SMS.
- Analytics: Podium offers analytics features for enterprises, such as measuring customer satisfaction through Net Promoter Score (NPS) and monitoring website traffic.
- You can try it out for free with their 14-day trial.
- Just be prepared for the hefty pricing if you decide to stick around.
Spoiler Alert: It's seriously not worth it?! - Hey there, if you're thinking of using Podium and wanna know what's what, check out my honest Podium review!
Birdeye:
-
Here are Birdeye's best features:
- Manage 100s of listings: It's like having a personal army of listing assistants working for you.
- All-in-one inbox: With Birdeye, you can bring all your conversations from different channels into one place.
- Team chat: Birdeye's team chat tool is perfect for big companies with multiple departments.
- Birdeye and Podium are the OGs in the review management game and they probably have the most features (but maybe not the most relevant). I pitched them head on in my Birdeye vs Podium blog.
How to Use Online Reputation Management Software?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get started for local businesses:
- Choose the right software: Look for software that allows you to monitor your reputation, get more reviews, and respond to them.
My pick would be ReviewGain. You can follow along with our completely free trial here. - Connect your accounts: Once you have chosen your software, connect your Google/Yelp account so that you can start tracking your online presence.
- Get more reviews: Use the software to run SMS/Email review campaigns and get more positive reviews from satisfied customers.
- Respond to reviews: Respond to reviews promptly, professionally, and with a personal touch using the central reply dashboard.
- Market your reviews: Share your positive reviews on social media and your website using automated review marketing features.
If you're a small business (less than 5 locations), you can do all of this with ReviewGain for just $49/month. For bigger businesses, you can do all of this for all your locations for just $79/month for upto 20 locations.
Here’s a simple 3-step guide on how to get started for marketing agencies:
- Choose a whitelabel software: Look for a tool that allows you to customize the tool under your domain, your logo, and your pricing.
- Supply the info to the company: Customize your tool by adding your logo, brand colors, and website URL. The company you choose will take care of this.
- Offer your services: Start offering your review management services under your brand, and start helping local businesses improve their online reputation.
If you're a marketing agency owner and choose ReviewGain, you can get started with your whitelabel platform for just $49/month. The seat pricing starts at just $49/month per client.
Once you get to 5 clients, you can qualify to become a ReviewGain partner and get volume discounts of upto 50% off.
The Cost of Reputation Management for SEO
What are the Factors that Affect the Cost of Reputation + Listings Management Tools?
Let me break it down for you:
Features: Depending on the features you need, the cost of a review tool can vary. Look for tools that offer review monitoring, review generation, and review response features.
Locations: The cost of these tools also depends on the number of locations you have. If you have multiple locations, you'll need a tool that can handle all of them and that can increase the cost.
Payment Plan: These tools can be paid for on a monthly or annual basis. Annual plans typically offer a discount.
If you're an agency owner, these are the 3 main costs you're looking at while offering review management services:
Initial setup costs: There may be some initial costs involved in setting up the white-labeling process.
Monthly subscription costs: You'll need to pay a monthly subscription fee for the tool you're using. The subscription costs are usually paid per client/location and they go down as you add more clients.
Additional costs: You may also need to pay for additional features or support.
So there you have it, now let's break down the costs involved for the top 5 tools we talked about earlier.
Cost Comparison of SEO Reputation Management Tools
ReviewGain:
Here's ReviewGain's pricing explained in 4 simple points:
- For small businesses, we've got the budget-friendly option at just $49/month. You can add up to 5 locations and get 100 SMS/month bundled into the package.
- Have up to 20 locations? No problemo, our $79/month plan has got you covered. You also get 500 SMS/month bundled and unlimited emails/month.
- For marketing agencies, the price starts at $49/month per client + $0 in whitelabel setup fee.
- As you grow to 10 clients the cost goes down to just $29/month per client. After that, you can get custom quotes.
Brightlocal:
Here's Brightlocal's pricing rundown:
- Starting at just $29/month, the Single Business plan gets you access to local SEO tools and review management features. But don't get too excited, because with only 3 review reports and limited review campaigns for the whole month. Plus, you can only run 1 SEO audit per month.
- With the Multi Business plan at $49/month, you get slightly more wiggle room - like being able to get more reviews on three locations.
- The SEO pro plan at $79/month is for agencies managing up to 100 locations. And if you want to build your citations on all websites, it'll cost you an extra $3 per site.
GradeUs:
-
Here are GradeUs pricing plans:
- The Solo plan costs a hefty $110/month for single-location businesses.
- For marketing agencies, GradeUs Professional plans start at $60/month per client for 3 clients. But if you go up to 10 clients, the price goes down to $40/month per client + a whopping $440/year in whitelabel setup fee.
- And if you've got a massive 100 clients, the price goes down to $25/month per client + $440/year in setup fees. But don't forget about the extra $0.05/SMS charge!
- Seems like GradeUs is trying to make some serious bank for their investors. And who even charges $440/year for setup fees anymore? Are we living in the Stone Age?
Podium:
-
Podium's pricing can be summed up in 3 easy points:
- The Essentials plan costs $289/month and includes payment and webchat features.
- The Standard plan costs $449/month and includes personalized onboarding and automated review generation features.
- The Professional plan costs $649/month and allows for automatic lead distribution to different departments. Perfect for big teams with lots of incoming leads.
- But, at those prices, you might need to start a GoFundMe just to afford it!? Btw, if you're interested in Podium and want to understand its pricing in plain English, you can jump over to my Podium Pricing blog.
Birdeye:
-
Here are Birdeye's pricing points:
- The Standard plan costs a whopping $299/month and gives you review and listing management.
- Upgrade to the Professional plan for $399/month and get everything in the Standard plan plus some webchat features.
- If you're a corporate big shot, the Premium plan is a custom plan with surveys and ticketing features. But you need to talk to their rep to get a custom quote.
- Btw I tried to summarize Birdeye's pricing here, but it's a little more complex. If you're interested, you can read my Birdeye Pricing 101 blog.
Should You Invest in
Reputation Management for SEO?
Absolutely YES! It is critical for SEO. Let's recap everything we talked about:
Local SEO reputation management - Strategies: We talked about the importance of reviews for local rankings and how to optimize your business listings for better online visibility.
Reputation Management & Local SEO Tools: We discussed some of the best tools and software available in the market for and how they can help you monitor, manage, and improve your online presence.
The Cost of Reputation Management for SEO: We went through the various factors that affect the cost of tools, including the features, locations, payment plans, and reseller options.
Now that we know all of this, it's time to take action! Here are a few key takeaways to keep in mind:
- SEO and reviews go hand in hand. To have a successful online presence, you need to pay attention to both.
- There are many tools and strategies available to help you with online reviews. Don't be afraid to try out different options to find what works best for your business.
- When it comes to the cost, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on your specific needs and goals. But if you're a local business or a small-medium marketing agency, I would strongly suggest ReviewGain since it's designed specifically for these businesses.
I hope I was able to provide enough tips for you to start your reputation management journey. If you want to start your journey with ReviewGain, click here to learn more or start a free trial. It's as easy as entering your email, no credit card or phone number required. You'll be up and running in just 30 seconds!