Reviews & Reputation

⭐

Rating matters

"Two identical restaurants. One — 4.8 with 300 reviews. The other — 4.9 with 12 reviews. Who wins in search? The first one — volume and recency of reviews matters more than average score."

📌 Reviews — a key trust and ranking signal in local SEO. Google considers count, quality, recency, and responses.

How to Get More Reviews

Send a Google Profile link via SMS/email after a visit
Place a QR code on tables, receipts, business cards
Ask staff to remind satisfied customers
Never offer incentives for reviews — policy violation

Handling Negative Reviews

Respond within 24 hours
Don't argue or defend publicly
Thank them for the feedback
Offer to resolve the issue offline
Report what actions were taken

Google removes reviews if they:
• Contain spam or are fake
• Don't relate to a real experience
• Violate Google's policies

Flag obviously fake reviews through GBP.

🎯 Fact: 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

🎮 Test yourself: how should you respond to a negative review?

🎯

Lesson Task

Test your knowledge and earn +20 XP

← Citations & NAP Consistency

Lesson 13 of 18

Go to Task →