{"id":23118,"date":"2019-03-25T17:01:25","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T00:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/?p=23118"},"modified":"2026-03-03T08:53:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T16:53:58","slug":"guide-to-reviews-local-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/guide-to-reviews-local-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to reviews and Local SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Customer reviews play a critical role in local SEO because they influence both how customers choose businesses and how search engines determine local rankings. Reviews signal trust, relevance, and credibility through factors like volume, recency, sentiment, and source diversity, helping businesses appear more prominently in local search results and map listings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">Online reviews are one of the most trusted sources of information for customers, and search engines increasingly reflect that trust in local rankings. This blog explains why reviews matter so much for local SEO, how Google evaluates review signals, and what businesses can do to improve visibility in local search results. You\u2019ll learn how review quantity, freshness, and diversity affect rankings, along with practical ways to use reviews as user-generated content, social proof, and keyword insights. The blog also covers essential local SEO best practices, including Google Business Profile optimization and citation consistency, to help businesses turn trust into discoverability.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-why-reviews-matter-so-much\" data-level=\"2\">Why reviews matter so much<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#reviews-and-local-seo\" data-level=\"2\">Reviews and Local SEO<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-what-is-local-seo\" data-level=\"3\">What is Local SEO<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-local-seo-fundamentals-the-changing-local-search-landscape\" data-level=\"3\">Local SEO Fundamentals: The changing local search landscape<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-review-signals-and-local-seo\" data-level=\"3\">Review signals and Local SEO<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Local-SEO-best-practices\" data-level=\"2\">Local SEO best practices<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-leverage-keywords-from-user-generated-content\" data-level=\"3\">Leverage keywords from user-generated content<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-embed-a-customer-review-feed-on-your-website\" data-level=\"3\">Embed a customer review feed on your website<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-share-reviews-as-social-proof\" data-level=\"3\">Share reviews as social proof<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-focus-on-review-sites-your-customers-use\" data-level=\"3\">Focus on review sites your customers use<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-claim-your-google-business-profile\" data-level=\"3\">Claim your Google Business Profile<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-claim-your-birdeye-profile-too\" data-level=\"2\">Claim your Birdeye profile too<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-enable-google-seller-ratings\" data-level=\"2\">Enable Google Seller Ratings<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-consistent-citations\" data-level=\"2\">Consistent citations<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#birdeye-can-help\" data-level=\"2\">How Birdeye Can Help<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-reviews-matter-so-much\">Why reviews matter so much<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the marketing and sales departments in businesses all around the country are facing a crisis. A recent survey by Hubspot ranked the amount of trust Americans had for different professions. At the top of the list were firefighters and teachers. At the bottom of the list were salespeople and marketers with 1% and 0% respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"588\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-1024x588.jpg\" alt=\"trust in marketers\" class=\"wp-image-23211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-1024x588.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-768x441.jpg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-1536x882.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-2048x1176.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-810x465.jpg 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Customer-trust-online-reviews-more-than-sales-and-marketers@2x-1140x655.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This study has huge implications. Nobody would buy a product from a person or organization they don\u2019t trust. That means that lots of the resources that businesses are pouring into marketing and sales are wasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses need to meet customers where they are. So, if customers aren\u2019t listening to your marketing team, who are they listening to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is <strong>other customers. <\/strong>92% of customers consult <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/review-management\/\">online reviews<\/a> before making a purchase decision. Though trust in sales and marketing has eroded, <strong>customers trust reviews<\/strong>.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a business owner, you shouldn\u2019t have to also become a digital marketing guru. You just need to be able to empower customers and have them spread the word about your business. To do this, you need to take advantage of online reviews. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reviews-and-local-seo\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reviews and Local SEO <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not <em>just<\/em> customers who trust reviews. When customers search for the best local businesses near them, Google aims to give them the best results. To do this, Google takes into account the same factors that customers take into account to determine a business&#8217;s trustworthiness. Since customers trust reviews, search engines do too. Reviews impact Local SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s talk about how reviews can help you when potential customers search for local businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-local-seo\">What is Local SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/local-business-seo\/\">Local SEO<\/a> is the process of optimizing how your business appears online so it can appear on top of relevant search queries. For example, imagine being the owner of a barbershop. You want to be the first result when customers in your area search for \u201cbarbers near me\u201d. Local SEO is what you do to accomplish this goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-local-seo-fundamentals-the-changing-local-search-landscape\">Local SEO Fundamentals: The changing local search landscape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nowadays, optimizing for local search is becoming more and more difficult. For a business to maximize visibility to customers, they have to appear on the first page of search engines. According to Moz, the first page of Google gets 71% of all clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If that wasn\u2019t tough enough, page 1 is now smaller than ever. There are now more mobile searches than desktop searches. On mobile, customers typically can only see the top three businesses on local search, also known as the \u201clocal pack results\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"602\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-1024x602.jpg\" alt=\"google 3 pack\" class=\"wp-image-23276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-1024x602.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-768x451.jpg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-1536x902.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-2048x1203.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-810x476.jpg 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Mobile@3x-1140x670.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers typically pick from the local pack results and don\u2019t scroll further. In order to capture customers searching on mobile, being part of the local pack is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have more questions regarding local SEO? <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/frequently-asked-local-seo-questions-answered-by-an-expert\/\">Check out our article on the most frequently asked questions about Local SEO<\/a> &#8211; all answered by industry experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-review-signals-and-local-seo\">Review signals and Local SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google uses several different review signals in order to determine search ranking. Your overall star rating isn\u2019t the only thing that leads to a high rank. The following review signals are considered so, keep all of this in mind when you\u2019re trying to optimize your business for search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review diversity<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you have reviews from different sources. There are hundreds of different review websites on the Internet. Though you don\u2019t need to have a hundred reviews on each, you don\u2019t want to have all of your reviews on just Google or just Facebook either. Try getting reviews on sites that are specific to your industry such as Healthgrades (Healthcare), and Cars.com (Automotive).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review quantity<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The more reviews you have, the better your chances of ranking high. Make sure that you are getting lots of reviews from customers. Most people feel comfortable with businesses that have at <em>least<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/google-customer-reviews\/\"> 7-10 reviews<\/a>. More is better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review recency<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure that you are getting a constant stream of new reviews. Having a lot of reviews from a year ago is great. Having lots of reviews coming in regularly is better. Plus, customers like recent reviews too.&nbsp; According to Search Engine Journal, 85% of customers believe that reviews written more than three months ago are no longer relevant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\"><strong>How review signals show up beyond traditional search<\/strong><br><br>As AI-generated answers become more common in search experiences, the same review signals\u2014volume, recency, sentiment, and source credibility are increasingly used to summarize and surface businesses.<br><br>Birdeye <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/search-ai\/\">Search AI<\/a> helps businesses understand how their reviews and listings appear in AI-generated answers by showing which sources are used, how accurately locations are described, and where gaps in reviews or listings may affect discovery and trust.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436-1024x462.png\" alt=\"Birdeye Search AI \" class=\"wp-image-68136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436-1024x462.png 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436-300x135.png 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436-768x347.png 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436-1536x693.png 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436-810x366.png 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436-1140x514.png 1140w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-436.png 1888w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Local-SEO-best-practices\">Local SEO best practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this section, we\u2019ll talk about some actionable steps you can take in order to increase your business\u2019s search ranking and get new customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leverage-keywords-from-user-generated-content\">Leverage keywords from user-generated content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Online reviews are a great example of <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/what-is-user-generated-content-and-how-it-can-boost-your-business\/\">user-generated content<\/a> that helps customers discover your business. They are filled with things that Google\u2019s algorithm loves: fresh content, relevant keywords, and images published on authoritative sites like Facebook, and Google itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see in the image below, customers will often use keywords in reviews that they used to discover your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"588\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-1024x588.jpg\" alt=\"review keywords\" class=\"wp-image-23190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-1024x588.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-768x441.jpg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-1536x882.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-2048x1176.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-810x465.jpg 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Keywords@2x-1140x655.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can leverage these user-generated reviews to conduct keyword research. Looking at these reviews can often reveal how customers are finding your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine a dentist\u2019s practice that gives root canal treatments. If his patients are choosing to write \u201cRCT\u201d instead of \u201croot canal treatment\u201d, there\u2019s a good chance that they are searching for those keywords too. The dentist should consider switching his keywords to \u201cRCT\u201d on his page description. This simple adjustment can lead to a huge improvement in search relevance and ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-embed-a-customer-review-feed-on-your-website\">Embed a customer review feed on your website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines love fresh, relevant content like user reviews. So why not bring them onto your website?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a live <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/why-you-should-display-reviews-on-your-website\/\">review feed on your website<\/a> also helps your business look more trustworthy to visitors. Just like sharing reviews on your social media pages, displaying review feeds on your website helps to show social proof. Visitors can see immediately how well your business is serving other customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using Birdeye\u2019s review widget, you can copy-paste a line of code and add a feed of reviews from all over the web on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-share-reviews-as-social-proof\">Share reviews as social proof<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Prospects are more likely to choose your business over competitors if they see evidence of your brand\u2019s quality and reliability. An easy way to show off what you have to offer is to share the reviews of satisfied customers on your social media pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, customers aren\u2019t the only ones paying attention to social mentions.&nbsp; Soon, we may even see Google determine the popularity of your website by taking into account what people are saying about your business on social media and blogs.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-focus-on-review-sites-your-customers-use\">Focus on review sites your customers use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, one of the factors that Google takes into account as part of review signals is review diversity. That means that your business should keep track of reviews on several different sites instead of focusing on just one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep track of review sites that cater to your specific industry. To do this, Google a term related to your industry. You can see a drop-down arrow to the right of relevant results. Click on this to see similar results (in this case <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/10-car-review-sites\/\">car review sites<\/a> or top sites affiliated with auto repair in Dallas).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-1024x441.jpg\" alt=\"finding review sites\" class=\"wp-image-23189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-1024x441.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-300x129.jpg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-768x331.jpg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-1536x662.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-2048x882.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-810x349.jpg 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair@2x-1140x491.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers visiting these industry-specific sites are usually further along the path to purchase. They probably already know what they\u2019re looking for, they are just deciding between a few different options. Just be sure that your business will be there to convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-claim-your-google-business-profile\">Claim your Google Business Profile<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This might seem obvious, but a study by the Local Search Association showed that only 44% of businesses have claimed their Google Business Profile (formerly known as <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/google-my-business\/\">Google My Business<\/a> Profile). Claim your Business Profile, then add accurate information and high-definition images.&nbsp; This will make your business more trustworthy in the eyes of Google\u2019s algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more customers know about our business right away, the more likely they are to give you a click. Completing your profile will give customers the information they need to trust your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"501\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-1024x501.jpg\" alt=\"GMB profile\" class=\"wp-image-23191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-1024x501.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-300x147.jpg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-768x376.jpg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-1536x751.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-2048x1002.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-810x396.jpg 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/auto-repair-copy@2x-1140x558.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-claim-your-birdeye-profile-too\">Claim your Birdeye profile too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Google My Business isn\u2019t the only profile you should claim. Birdeye builds custom, SEO-optimized profiles that display reviews aggregated from across the Internet. If enough review signals are met, you\u2019ll see your business&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/reviews.birdeye.com\/\">Birdeye page<\/a> appear high in search results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"579\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/birdeye-profile.png\" alt=\"Birdeye profile \" class=\"wp-image-23129\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/birdeye-profile.png 650w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/birdeye-profile-300x267.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-enable-google-seller-ratings\">Enable Google Seller Ratings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can enable <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-google-seller-ratings\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-google-seller-ratings\/\">Google Seller ratings<\/a> on your business\u2019s paid Google search ads. Google Seller ratings allow potential customers to see how your current customers are rating your product. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"591\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-1024x591.jpg\" alt=\"Google Seller Ratings \" class=\"wp-image-23192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-1024x591.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-768x444.jpg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-1536x887.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-2048x1183.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-810x468.jpg 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Seller-Rating@2x-1-1140x658.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Enabling these Google Seller ratings will make your Google Ads campaigns more efficient. A higher click-through rate means a higher quality score, lower cost per click, and more customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to enable Google Seller ratings, your business does have to meet certain requirements. Your business must have received at least 100 reviews from your country in the last 12 months and a composite rating of at least 3.5 stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This review requirement is rolling. Your business will need 100 reviews for the last 12 months through the entire length of the campaign. In order to maintain Google seller ratings, you need to have a constant stream of new reviews. That makes it even more important to make sure that you are consistently soliciting reviews from customers. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-consistent-citations\">Consistent citations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While review signals help Google determine local search ranking, it\u2019s not the only factor that matters. Another significant factor is citation signals. Citation signals relate to your business having consistent listings on different websites. That includes your name, address, phone number, and website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When search engines find conflicting or outdated listings on businesses on different websites, they find your business less trustworthy. That leads to a decline in your business\u2019s search ranking and, ultimately, a decline in the number of customers who find your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not having consistent business listings might even reduce your customer base. According to Brightlocal, 68% of customers said they would stop using a local business entirely if they found incorrect information online. This might sound simple, but there are hundreds of review sites across the Internet. Every single detail counts, including the formatting and abbreviation of streets. Luckily there\u2019s a solution to this problem. Use an online <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/business-listing-management\/\">listings tool<\/a> to fix these details and increase your online visibility.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"602\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-1024x602.jpg\" alt=\"business listings \" class=\"wp-image-23207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-1024x602.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-768x451.jpg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-1536x902.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-2048x1203.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-810x476.jpg 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fix-listing@2x-1-1140x670.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs about reviews and local SEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1772556589813\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How do reviews impact local search rankings?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Reviews influence local rankings by signaling trust and relevance to search engines. Google considers factors like review volume, frequency, sentiment, and diversity when determining which businesses appear in local results.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1772556649237\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Does review recency really matter for local SEO?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes. Recent reviews are more valuable than older ones because they indicate an active, currently trusted business. Customers also place more weight on newer feedback when making decisions.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1772556662483\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How many reviews does a business need to rank well locally?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">There\u2019s no fixed number, but businesses with at least <strong>7\u201310 reviews<\/strong> tend to appear more trustworthy to customers. In competitive markets, higher volume combined with steady review velocity improves visibility.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1772556678579\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Should businesses focus on Google reviews only?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">No. While Google reviews are important, review diversity matters. Reviews from industry-specific platforms and other trusted sites help strengthen credibility and improve local SEO signals.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1772556691918\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Can reviews help with keyword optimization?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes. Reviews often contain the same words and phrases customers use in search queries. Analyzing review language can reveal valuable keyword insights that improve page relevance.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1772556695864\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How do consistent business listings affect local SEO?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Accurate and consistent listings (name, address, phone number) across the web help search engines trust your business information. Inconsistent citations can hurt rankings and customer confidence.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"birdeye-can-help\">How Birdeye Can Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Birdeye supports businesses on every step of the journey from reviews to revenue. Our all-in-one platform allows you to get new reviews, embed rich snippets, manage your social accounts, and maintain a positive online presence.\u00a0The biggest multi-location brands trust Birdeye to drive growth and get new customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/free-demo\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"269\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NEW-Watch-Demo-Regular-1024x269.png\" alt=\"CTA banner for watch demo\" class=\"wp-image-46167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NEW-Watch-Demo-Regular-1024x269.png 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NEW-Watch-Demo-Regular-300x79.png 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NEW-Watch-Demo-Regular-768x202.png 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NEW-Watch-Demo-Regular-810x213.png 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NEW-Watch-Demo-Regular-1140x300.png 1140w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NEW-Watch-Demo-Regular.png 1520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Customer reviews play a critical role in local SEO because they influence both how customers choose businesses and how search engines determine local rankings. Reviews signal trust, relevance, and credibility through factors like volume, recency, sentiment, and source diversity, helping businesses appear more prominently in local search results and map listings. Summary Online reviews are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":23377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8573],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-seo"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Guide to reviews and Local SEO | Birdeye<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this guide to reviews and local SEO learn easy-to-implement tips on how to boost your business&#039;s SEO strategy. \u2713 Learn today.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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Google considers factors like review volume, frequency, sentiment, and diversity when determining which businesses appear in local results.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/guide-to-reviews-local-seo\/#faq-question-1772556649237","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/guide-to-reviews-local-seo\/#faq-question-1772556649237","name":"Does review recency really matter for local SEO?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Recent reviews are more valuable than older ones because they indicate an active, currently trusted business. Customers also place more weight on newer feedback when making decisions.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/guide-to-reviews-local-seo\/#faq-question-1772556662483","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/guide-to-reviews-local-seo\/#faq-question-1772556662483","name":"How many reviews does a business need to rank well locally?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"There\u2019s no fixed number, but businesses with at least <strong>7\u201310 reviews<\/strong> tend to appear more trustworthy to customers. In competitive markets, higher volume combined with steady review velocity improves visibility.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/guide-to-reviews-local-seo\/#faq-question-1772556678579","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/guide-to-reviews-local-seo\/#faq-question-1772556678579","name":"Should businesses focus on Google reviews only?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. While Google reviews are important, review diversity matters. 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