--- title: "Local SEO: Exactly How Important Are Reviews?" description: Local SEO should be a critical part of your marketing strategy when you have a brick-and-mortar location or service a specific geographic area. image: https://www.marycatespires.com/hubfs/Blog-1.png --- [![MCS Logo Variations_6](https://www.marycatespires.com/hubfs/MCS%20Logo%20Variations_6.png)](https://www.marycatespires.com/) [![MCS Logo Variations_5](https://www.marycatespires.com/hubfs/MCS%20Logo%20Variations_5.png)](https://www.marycatespires.com/) - [Meet Mary Cate](https://www.marycatespires.com/about-mary-cate-spires) - [Book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QP6QBF2) - [Speaking](https://www.marycatespires.com/digital-marketing-keynotes-mary-cate-spires) - [Resources](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-marketing-resources) - [Digital Marketing Audit](https://www.marycatespires.com/mary-cate-spires-digital-marketing-audit) - [Blog](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog) [Free Consult](https://www.marycatespires.com/free-marketing-consultation-with-mary-cate-spires) [Brand Awareness & Reputation](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/tag/brand-awareness-reputation)   |   7 Min Read # Local SEO: Exactly How Important Are Reviews? ![Picture of Mary Cate Spires](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/4af70d80239e4f1e37734c9a817c8a98) [Written by Mary Cate Spires](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/author/mary-cate-spires) Is your digital marketing performing at its fullest potential? Have Mary Cate take a look. [Get Audited](https://www.marycatespires.com/mary-cate-spires-digital-marketing-audit) When was the last time you needed to find something near you? For me, it was a restaurant because my husband and I tend to frequent the same three restaurants by our house, so we wanted to branch out.  If you are like me, the first thing you’ll do is Google “restaurants near me” or some variation of a similar phrase.  Have you ever wondered why results show up as they do? The answer is local search engine optimization (SEO).  Local SEO should be a critical part of your marketing strategy when you have a brick-and-mortar location or service a specific geographic area.  According to the Think with Google report, The number of searches for “near me” has increased by 500% in recent years. If this is where your customers are searching - this is where you need to be showing up.  So, what is the easiest way to start ranking quickly? Reviews.  Let’s look at why reviews are so important to local SEO and your business as a whole.  ## Digital Word of Mouth  It is no secret in the marketing world that word of mouth is the best marketing you can get. This has not changed and is not likely to; however, it has evolved. Now, word of mouth marketing can be a simple suggestion to a friend, but it can also be sharing on the internet. This can take the form of social media posts, blogs, and reviews.  *Real people trust real people.* Because of this, a verified review will give your business much more credibility than any marketing you can put out there. This credibility will affect how consumers see your business and how Google sees it.  Did you know that if your business does not have at least a 4.0 rating on Google, it will **automatically** be removed from any “best” searches? So don’t give your competitors a chance to not only rank above you but show up when you are not. ## Ranking Factors  While no one knows exactly how Google ranks listings or why we have good guesses through trial and error, it is well known in the search engine optimization industry that reviews appear to be the most important ranking factor in local search.  According to [The Digital Elevator](https://thedigitalelevator.com/local-seo-ranking-factors/?vp_on_pageload=t), review quantity, length, and diversity are all critical areas to focus on for ranking.  Reviews that include keywords specific to your offerings and location will also help you rank higher in local searches.  ## Feedback  When you are getting reviews from your customers, you are also getting valuable feedback that you can operationalize into providing better services.  As you take this feedback and implement it into your everyday business, you are likely to have more happy customers. The more happy customers you have, the more likely your reviews will also start to increase, therefore helping your local SEO!  ## Content  Lastly, reviews make incredible content to share on your website, advertising, and social media.  Again, real people trust real people. Utilize your glowing reviews to increase your [brand awareness and brand reputation](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/brand-awareness-vs.-brand-reputation-what-they-can-both-do-for-you) by weaving them into your content marketing strategy.  So, how do you get reviews? **Ask!** To get started, just ask happy customers to leave you a review. If you don’t ask, the only people that will leave reviews of your business are people who are over the moon happy or who are disgruntled. So, stack the deck by asking people to leave reviews on Google for your business.    [![1 Blog CTA (600 x 200)](https://www.marycatespires.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1%20Blog%20CTA%20(600%20x%20200).png?width=600&name=1%20Blog%20CTA%20(600%20x%20200).png)](https://www.marycatespires.com/mary-cate-spires-digital-marketing-audit)   Topics:   [Brand Awareness & Reputation](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/tag/brand-awareness-reputation) - - - - [mailto:?subject=Local%20SEO:%20Exactly%20How%20Important%20Are%20Reviews?&body=Local%20SEO:%20Exactly%20How%20Important%20Are%20Reviews?%20https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/local-seo-exactly-how-important-are-reviews](mailto:?subject=Local%20SEO:%20Exactly%20How%20Important%20Are%20Reviews?&body=Local%20SEO:%20Exactly%20How%20Important%20Are%20Reviews?%20https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/local-seo-exactly-how-important-are-reviews) ## Related Articles [Content Marketing](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/tag/content-marketing) [Brand Awareness & Reputation](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/tag/brand-awareness-reputation) ### [Captivating Your Audience: Strategies to Grab and Hold Attention](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/captivating-your-audience-strategies-to-grab-and-hold-attention) In today's digital age, where the average attention span has become shorter than ever, capturing and retaining your target audience's attention is like a marketing superpower. But fear not, because ... [![Picture of Mary Cate Spires](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/4af70d80239e4f1e37734c9a817c8a98) Mary Cate Spires](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/author/mary-cate-spires) [Brand Awareness & Reputation](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/tag/brand-awareness-reputation) ### [When to Run a Brand Awareness Campaign vs. an Engagement Campaign: Making the Right Choice for Your Business](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/when-to-run-a-brand-awareness-campaign-vs.-an-engagement-campaign-making-the-right-choice-for-your-business) Today, I want to delve into a topic that many of us ponder over the eternal dilemma of whether to run a brand awareness campaign or an engagement campaign. Both have their unique benefits and ... [![Picture of Mary Cate Spires](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/4af70d80239e4f1e37734c9a817c8a98) Mary Cate Spires](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/author/mary-cate-spires) [Brand Awareness & Reputation](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/tag/brand-awareness-reputation) ### [Brand Awareness vs. Brand Reputation: What They Can Both Do For You](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/brand-awareness-vs.-brand-reputation-what-they-can-both-do-for-you) Do people know about your brand or company? Have they heard of you before? If no one is aware of your company, it will be challenging to convince them to buy your product or service. But what if ... [![Picture of Mary Cate Spires](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/4af70d80239e4f1e37734c9a817c8a98) Mary Cate Spires](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/author/mary-cate-spires) ![MCS Logo Variations_5](https://www.marycatespires.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MCS%20Logo%20Variations_5.png?width=3521&height=786&name=MCS%20Logo%20Variations_5.png) [Meet Mary Cate](https://www.marycatespires.com/about-mary-cate-spires) [Book](https://www.marycatespires.com/early-access-to-on-the-map) [Let"s Talk](https://www.marycatespires.com/contact-mary-cate?hsLang=en) [Resources](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-marketing-resources) [Blog](https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog) Copyright @ 2022.  ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Mary Cate Spires", "url" : "https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/author/mary-cate-spires" }, "dateModified" : "2022-08-01T12:33:48.746Z", "datePublished" : "2022-08-01T12:29:23.000Z", "headline" : "Local SEO: Exactly How Important Are Reviews?", "image" : [ "https://www.marycatespires.com/hubfs/Blog-1.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.marycatespires.com/roi-driven-marketing-blog/local-seo-exactly-how-important-are-reviews", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.marycatespires.com/hubfs/MCS%20Logo%20Variations_6.png" }, "name" : "Mary Cate Spires" } } ```