Online reviews and ratings play a critical role in brand perception, search engine rankings and conversions. In a study, LocalSEO Guide alongside PlacesScout and the University of California Irvine recently determined that online reviews are the most important local SEO ranking factor – influencing local search engine rankings more than any other factors studied.
Multiple other studies have equally arrived at the same findings and derived similar or identical conclusions. As such, it’s important that you approach local business reviews as an essential cog in your online marketing engine.