We can read reviews, call the business, see their location and pictures all from the SERP. We've now got tools provided to us through web search that allow us to make a decision before ever clicking through to a business' website.

(This is also why they appear number one - more, better reviews are one of the indicators that help you outrank your competition!)Īs we've talked about before on the blog, Google has shifted the way we operate online. It's likely that I'll call the first option, because in a split-second, I can see their reputation is clearly high. If you are in the market for a plumber, which one would you call? While they both have high scores, I can see that TN Plumbing Solutions has a bit lower of a score, but has many more reviews, whereas GNC Plumbing only has one review. These are the first two results along with a map that show they're about equal distance from where I'm located. Let's say I'm in Nashville, and searching for a plumber. Let’s do a quick test to truly understand what we’re dealing with here. If there are dozens of reviews, or even hundreds, and the rating is still 4 or 5 stars, then I know I can trust that business. I need at least 3-5 people to confirm it’s either good or bad. Why? Because if only one person rated it five stars, then I don’t really know if the product is that great.

I also look at the number next to the stars, which indicates how many people reviewed the product. If there's a low star rating, I'm likely to assume that the experience or product itself isn't worth my time. At a quick glance, I can see if other people like the product, and can immediately determine if I'm interested in learning more. Am I right?īefore I even click into a product, I look at the star rating, as shown above. Think about it: when you shop on Amazon, what is the one thing you do before you check out? I bet you read the reviews. The three most important, yet simple ways to get more Google reviews:

My google reviews