How to Take Advantage of Google’s New Ranking Features for Your Small Business

Google’s search ranking factors have always been optimized to prefer quality content and websites to those lacking. The point of a search engine is to find the best and most closely-related results to those searched for, so this may come as no surprise. However, when taking reviews into consideration, it’s a newer focus for them. When searching for local businesses, Google has begun to factor in the quality given by reviews as a ranking factor– a move that can mean a big impact for smaller businesses.

When searching for a local business normally, one might type in something along the lines of “florist” to find the area’s professionals. However, with this new part of the search engine’s algorithm, when you add a superlative such as “best, awesome, great” and etc., they’ll automatically filter your results to those with reviews averaging four or more stars. So, if someone were to instead type “best florist” into the search bar, their results may be entirely different. This shift means a better focus on client interaction, something that can give smaller businesses with less money to spend on marketing a heads-up.

Smaller businesses often get the chance to interact on a more personal and individual level with their clients, meaning that often their review quality is high when compared to larger agencies. When you can reach out and more easily make a positive impact with your client, this can truly affect how much your business means to them. Being a small business also presents easier opportunities to ask for reviews! After performing a service or meeting with a client, consider asking them to leave you a review on any of your social media platforms. Reviews have always been important to search engines and to first impressions by prospective clients, but with this algorithm shift, they’ve become an even bigger force to have on your side.

Consider taking advantage of this shift by embracing this search engine love towards local, small businesses and start asking for some reviews! Chances are, your customers won’t mind sharing their experiences in a quick few lines on Facebook, and these few minutes of interaction could mean a huge impact for you. For more information or assistance in taking charge, contact i3 today!