Ever searched for "<business type> near me" or "...closest"? Google Trends shows that those searches have double in the last 2 years. These searches aren't pitting your business against those in the next state or even the next city. They are ranking you against your competitors in the SAME town. If you search for "restaurant near me" and you're sitting in Central Auckland you'll get vastly different local results than if you were on the North Shore. Citrus heights will be different to Folsom, and Peoria will be different to Goodyear. So it's vitally important that you local listing information is up to date and relevant.
Reason 1
Their business listings are accurate and optimized. Because we're talking, mainly, about Google, we're, therefore talking about Google Business Listings. Are these up to date? Make sure all your contact details are correct. Add photos and videos. Don't forget to add all your name variations. You need to do here, everything you can to make your business visible.
Reason 2
They have been proactive in obtaining more, more relevant, and more current reviews. Online reviews are a top ranking element in Google's ranking algorithm. That's why we began offering a great little system to get you more, and better, online reviews. Read more about getting more reviews.
Reason 3
The stream reviews on their website. Because Google owns YouTube, you get a ranking boost for hosting videos on YouTube and streaming them on your site. The same applies to online reviews. This isn't duplicate content, this is smart tech! Part of the review collection system we offer, aggregates reviews from up to 49 platforms around the web and streams them in a feed directly on your site. This is powerful and something everyone should be doing.
Reason 4
They respond to negative reviews. Waa-waaaahhh. Yup, stuff happens. It'd be nice to have all 5 star reviews, but sometimes, not everything goes to plan, right. However, a negative review isn't necessarily a bad thing from Google's perspective. If they see a business responding to negative feedback promptly and in a way which shows a willingness to resolve the situation, they actually consider this as an active business.
Reason 5
They're techie! They use an online reputation management system to manage and request reviews. Not only is that smart from Google's point of view, but it's smart from the business point of view. Using an ORS saves the business time and money, and shows them as a company that cares.
