Customer reviews are flooding the Internet and are becoming a major factor for buyers and even Search Engines when deciding whether to trust your company or not. Local Search is not only included in this statement but seems to be quickly becoming ruled by popular opinion. Buyers are deciding where to buy from and search engines are deciding how to rank your sites based on what your customers are saying. Because of their growing importance it's very important that you get your customer reviews together within your Local Business Listing the right way!

Reviews and Searchers

Reviews are exactly what searchers want to see when doing online research in preparation for selecting a local enterprise to patronize. In the same way that they ask friends, neighbors and coworkers for recommendations on a reliable transmission repair shop, kid-friendly dentist or favorite rib joint, they're now seeking out that same information from online communities, as well.

Word of mouth marketing, which has always been a prime driver of new customers to local businesses, is now magnified across the Internet to include everyone with access to a PC or Internet enabled smart phone. Your customers are all talking to each other! To show how much online reviews are definitely influencing people's purchasing decisions Gregg Stewart, of TMP Marketing (a company that conducts studies with Comscore) tells us:

"From 2008 to 2009, usage of consumer ratings and reviews increased to 25 percent (+3) among IYP searchers and to 27 percent (+5) among general searchers. Additionally, people who use social networking sites for local busine...