New study says review responses increase reviews by 80%

According to the Uberall Reputation Management Revolution Global Benchmark Report, replying to 32% of reviews generated 80% more conversions versus competitors who replied to just 10% of reviews left by customers.The report classes conversions as a click, a request for driving directions from Google Maps or a telephone call – these findings show that it really is worth finding time for reputation management if you have a local business website.With 64,000 local business listings analysed in four different countries, here are just a few of the pertinent findings from the report. Use them to refine your local SEO and reputation management approach. Local search has high local intent If you run a local business and have a physical bricks and mortar location in addition to your local business website, this particular stat should convince you that there are plenty of real world benefits to optimising your local search presence.The report found that around half of all searches are for local businesses, meaning it’s well worth ensuring you’re doing all you can to get local pack visibility. What’s more, 76% of those search users went on to visit a local store within one day. 95% of local consumers use online reviews to choose which local business they visit, so being on the ball can pay dividends. A small improvement in star rating can lead to big rewards Uberall researches discovered that improving a star rating from 3.5 to 3.7 gives a 120% increase in conversions. This appears to be the sweet spot for reviews, as this increase led to the biggest change in conversions – more so than improving to a five-star rating for example. Reply to reviews to win more business The Moz Local SEO Ranking Factors study says that replying to reviews is a local pack ranking factor. Google also says it considers review responses. The BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey says that around 8 in 10 consumers read the business response to reviews. It makes sense then that responding can lead to more conversions.The Uberall data confirms that replying to 10% of reviews gives a conversion rate of just 3%. Putting more time in to reputation management and replying to at least 32% of reviews gives you 80% more conversions than other local businesses who don’t make time to publicly acknowledge feedback.If you’re a local business owner, factoring in local reviews and reputation management can have a marked impact not just on local pack visibility but on phone calls, store visits and footfall.