My presentation from Brandify Summit 2016 - on how current trends in local search (and beyond) favor the top-reviewed businesses, rather than the top-ranked ones. I also cover practical ways that big companies can get more happy customers to write online reviews.
2. Big brands’ big weakness: online reviews
Current trends favor the top-reviewed businesses.
Most big brands are lousy at encouraging good reviews.
Over time, highly-rated local competitors may steal some
market share (although you’ll probably still outrank them).
Or your company can rack up reviews as the best SMBs do.
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
8. Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
9. Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
10. Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
11. It’s still the Wild West:
• Relaxed review filter
• No oversight
• Google+ not needed
• Yet more prominent
than ever…
Shift: more reviews in Google
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
14. Shift: more review sites than ever before
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
There are over 400
review sites now*
(*Yes, I counted.
Type “Definitive List of
Local Review Sites”
into Google.)
17. Big brands, on the one side:
Solid rankings
• Name-recognition
• Media attention
• Link juice
Customer base
Human resources
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
18. SMBs, on the other side:
They’re closer to their
customers better and
can get more of them to
speak up online.
Smart SMBs can rack up
reviews big-time.
Recent trends benefit
SMBs when consumers
have a choice.
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
19. How can a big brand impress more effectively?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
20. Well, how do the best SMBs impress?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
27. 6. They make it sound like a personal favor
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
28. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
7. They know specific people in the company
create 1-star or 5-star experiences
Tom the technician
Mary the manager
Sam the server
Bob the broker
Etc.
30. Scalable ways to get impressive reviews?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
31. Get picked because of your reviews
Best way to leverage
local rankings.
Crucial whenever there
is a choice.
How? Showcase reviews
everywhere
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
32. 1. Get picked because of your reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Use Brandify’s Review
Builder to curate reviews
on your location pages.
33. 1. Get picked because of your reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
34. 1. Get picked because of your reviews
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
35. 2. Focus on the sites your customers care about
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
This is where that
“Review Us” page helps
a lot.
Have one for each
location (maybe start w/
just a few).
36. 3. Identify your biggest fans and
get them to speak up
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
37. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
3. Identify your biggest fans and
get them to speak up
BBB
CitySearch
Facebook (!)
Foursquare
InsiderPages
OpenTable
SuperPages
WeddingBee
YellowBot
YellowPages
Zillow
Or send them to your
“Review Us” page.
38. 4. Focus on the review (for now)
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
41. @PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
Use pronouns:
“We” and “You.”
No passive voice.
Try to sound smaller
than you really are.
6. Make it sound like a personal favor
42. 7. Ask reviewers to mention specific people
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
43. 8. Act like you’ll see your customers again
They’re more likely to
review you
– and come back –
if they think you’ll read
their feedback.
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
44. By the way, reviews might help rankings….
Higher click-through
“Local content” for site
Barnacle SEO
Word-of-mouth / PR
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
45. Takeaways & points to meditate on
1. People & search engines ever-increasingly value reviews.
2. More is happening before visitors reach companies’ sites.
3 “Local” is no longer just about getting your site into SERPs.
Now it’s crucial to get your reputation in there, too.
4. Review strategies that help SMBs can help big brands, too.
5. What works better for local SEO: centralized “marketing
machine,” or location-level “boots on the ground?
6. How might reviews get monetized or go “pay-to-play”?
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016
47. 60+ Questions to Troubleshoot and Fix Your Local Reviews Strategy – me
Effective “Review Us” Pages for Local Businesses: a Fistful of Examples – me
Which Local Review Sites Are on Your Side? – me
Ultimate List of Review Widgets and Badges for Your Local Business Website –
Local Consumer Review Survey 2015 – BrightLocal
Whitespark’s Review Handout Generator – Whitespark
User Behavior and Local Search – Darren Shaw
Barnacle SEO: Local Search Engine Optimization for The Sam’s Club Crowd – Will Scott
Grade.us (for building an off-site “Review Us” page)
GetFiveStars (for review outreach by email)
Resources and further reading
@PhilRozek | LocalVisibilitySystem.com Brandify Summit 2016