Every eCommerce developer aims to reach a maximum amount of customers and increase its business profitability, but this can be a daunting endeavor since the internet has over 20 million eCommerce sites[1], making it difficult to stand out even with eCommerce SEO efforts.

But an established way to increase your eCommerce SEO efforts is via customer reviews, and the data backs it up. For starters, 93% of consumers[2] selected randomly in 2021 admitted that customer reviews influence their purchasing behavior. And this is because they rely on the experience of others with that brand and product. Utilizing customer reviews complements your eCommerce SEO efforts and is one way to differentiate your business from competitors, but how do reviews impact your effort?

In 2012, Google updated its SEO algorithm to mitigate keyword stuffing due to the negative customer experience on sites that used this practice.

A website that practices this will now be penalized by being demoted in search result rankings or blocked altogether. eCommerce SEO is not an easy venture, but its results compensate for the work required. Since keyword stuffing is a penalized act, eCommerce businesses have to source effective ways to increase their eCommerce SEO rankings through customer reviews.

The Relevance of Customer Reviews

It is easy for people to conclude about a person or a business that does not control the narrative. Customer reviews provide businesses with an opportunity to control their narrative and build their brand image. Collecting and showcasing customer reviews on your eCommerce website is beneficial to higher SEO rankings. For starters, they lead to:

1. An increase in your eCommerce SEO rankings makes it easier for customers to find your business in search results.
2. A higher search ranking ultimately increases the website traffic, thereby generating more sales.
3. Above all, showcasing customer reviews aid in building business credibility and loyalty amongst customers.

Every potential or existing consumer that goes online for reviews is checked to ensure that the product/service they intend to purchase is good enough. New customers turn to customer reviews to determine if your brand is reliable. If brand reliability is established, it becomes easier for the customer to return. When a customer writes a review for your brand, it can be that they were either disappointed or pleased at the product/service. Providing customers with an opportunity to share their feelings about your business builds your credibility.

Impacts of Customer Reviews on eCommerce SEO

Besides gaining trust and credibility, how do customer reviews impact your brand, particularly SEO? Well, research shows that these areas are most affected.

• Positive Reviews Increase Your CTR (Click-through rate): A higher click-through rate (CTR) is one of Google's ranking factors. Positive reviews will increase the amount of traffic your website generates. The more people visit the site, the higher it will be recognized as a popular site by Google. It is a chain reaction. The more reviews are available, the higher your CTR, and ultimately, it increases your eCommerce SEO efforts.

• More Consumer Reviews Equate to More Keywords for Ranking: Consumer reviews act as keyword collection baskets. Because Google is keen on customer satisfaction, each review, whether good or bad, is viewed as a content tool to enhance user experience. For every customer review that goes live, Google understands what your business does and can place it better in search engine results.

• Reduces Bounce Rate: It isn't enough to have a high number of website visitors. Increasing search engine ranking requires users to visit your website and view other pages. Including customer reviews on your page reduces the bounce rate of your website by providing relevant information to search queries.

• Boosts Long-Tail Keyword Traffic: Long-tail Keywords often comprise five to six keywords relevant to your business targeted at a specific niche. Customer reviews make it easier for intending customers to find answers to even specific queries like those of long-tailed keywords — which aid eCommerce SEO ranking.

• Improve Ranking for Products: If you want to increase your product rankings, customer reviews are an excellent way to do that. It works because customer reviews build credibility by allowing customers to say exactly how they feel about a product. Authenticity can increase product ranking and customer loyalty.

Tips to Get More Customer Reviews

• Request for Reviews from Customers: If you want to include reviews on your website, ask your customers to provide reviews. The worst they can say is no. Also, it'll provide insight into actual customer emotions on your product/service.

• Grant Incentives for Customer Reviews: You can incentivize customer reviews if customers are not forthcoming. Offer rewards or a promo for customers that share authentic reviews on your business. This method provides a rewards system for customers and numerous reviews for you.

• Use a Functional eCommerce Builder with Review Capabilities: The internet has millions of website builders with claims to increase eCommerce SEO efforts but falls short. It would help if you had an eCommerce website builder that creates an easy-to-use review system. AllValue is an eCommerce builder to try because it offers an inclusive website building package topped with review capabilities. AllValue is a functional eCommerce builder for a fraction of the cost of competitors while retaining quality.

Google’s algorithm is quite consumer-focused, so why not take the same approach with your business. Customer reviews provide reliable information for potential customers and Google, which are needed to increase business profitability.

AllValue is an eCommerce software tool that can upgrade your eCommerce SEO efforts by including customer review sections on your website. For more information on increasing your eCommerce SEO ranking, visit AllValue and get on the free trial to start your eCommerce journey!