Good word of mouth promotion has always been valuable to business. When businesses move onto the net, it’s understandable that this form of marketing can be forgotten. However, there are many ways in which word of mouth travels on the net, and your business should take advantage.

The main form of word of mouth that travels on the net is the user review. This is a particular kind of word of mouth, through which an average Joe transmits his opinion of a product to other internet users by leaving a message where they’ll find it. It differs from real world word-of-mouth in that the relationship is quite distant between reviewer and reader, but reviews from uninterested consumers have a large amount of power in the market.

Recent research has shown that user reviews are second only to traditional word of mouth in influencing user decisions. This means that ignoring user reviews is something any business focussed on outcomes cannot afford.

User reviews are popping up everywhere these days. Not only is there an increasing number of review sites, but sites are adding review functions to engage users. Major directories are also opening up review functions. User reviews are permeating the net everywhere from ‘Bob’s review blog’ to Google Maps.

These reviews are important to your business for two main reasons. The first is the reason any review is important to business. Whether the review is good or bad, a review generated by someone unconnected to you means you’re getting attention. The second reason is the multiple SEO benefits that these reviews provide. Reviews can spread your business keywords throughout the net and can also generate inbound links for your site.

There might seem to be nothing you can do to influence your review situation. It might alternatively appear as if the only thing you can do is submit your own reviews. Neither is really true. You can influence reviews without writing them yourself. Consider sending products to bloggers or inviting users to review within your site as a start. You can gain further influence over reviews by posting replies, and this is a great way to foster inbound links for yourself. You can talk to us at SEO Consult about incorporating reviews into your SEO plan.

It may be tempting to submit your own reviews to places like Yellow Pages and Google. This is an area where caution should be exercised. Review sites are understandably hesitant about owner reviews. This is in part because owner reviews often read like advertisements. For this reason it can be helpful to consult your SEO professional to provide a review.

Incidentally, you can take advantage of the growing trend toward reviews on your site by adding a review function. This is a good addition to your SEO plan, as it provides a source of continuous fresh content as well as enriching your relationship with your site’s users. Talk to your SEO consultant for information on how to add user reviews to your search engine optimisation plan.

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