Boost Your Ratings and Reviews for More Authority

Thanks to the Internet, anyone in the world can publish content online. It’s getting to be a crowded space, but those who have authority will be able to build their brand and increase their profits more easily.

Authority at a Glance

What do we mean by authority? It can mean different things, depending on the area you are examining. Authority operates on several levels. There is domain authority, page authority, and professional authority within your niche.

Domain Authority-Domain authority relates to your domain traffic. Is your URL a frequently-visited site that attracts not only new but repeat visitors? Do they visit once and click out?

Page Authority-Page authority is often measured by search engine results. Is your page in the top 10 on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) delivered by Google and other top search engines?

Professional Authority-Regarding professional authority within your niche, name recognition would often measure your level of authority. Would your name garner instant recognition by fellow experts in your niche in the same way that Emeril and Rach would?

If you’re struggling with all three of these areas, paying attention to your ratings and reviews can help improve your authority and garner more sales.

Ratings and Reviews at a Glance

Your reputation has a lot to do with your authority level, whether you are looking at domain authority, page authority, or professional authority. One of the easiest and most effective ways to boost your authority is to make it a point to give your ratings and reviews a little TLC. However, before you can get to work on that, you need to know more about ratings and reviews as well as where to find them.

Ratings and reviews can be found on"review sites" such as Yelp, as well as other places online such as social media sites, and even on your own website. If you are a brick-and-mortar business, you know just how your ratings can encourage or discourage people's visiting habits.

Some ratings sites will also allow people to post reviews. Again, reviews can make or break a business, especially if they are not accurate. A malicious poster can trash your reputation you've worked so hard to build with just the click of their mouse. Conversely, a high rating and a good review can build consumer confidence and make those who read the information more willing to give your business a chance.

Tips to Build Authority Building with Ratings and Reviews

Honesty is the best policy. Don’t write your own reviews from lots of accounts, or write fake bad reviews of your competitors no matter how tempting it might be. If they do it to you, don’t reciprocate.

Here's what to Focus on:

Ask customers for honest feedback. Ask for reviews, endorsements, and testimonials. Remind them in your email marketing. After they provide a review or testimonial, whether positive or negative, thank them with something such as a coupon, or something specifically related to the review provided.

Avoid paying for reviews. DO NOT pay for reviews. It will backfire sooner or later. Amazon is starting to sue reviewers, authors, and publishers who are involved with "paid reviews."They know how influential reviews can be in the purchasing process.

Create authority with search engines. Google is by far the biggest search engine and worth paying the most attention to. They offer the largest number of free marketing opportunities for smart business owners. However, you also want to include the top search engines that your target market uses.

Use Google for Business. Google for Business, https://www.google.com/business/, allows you to publish a robust business listing. When you're doing your social media posts, you can even post them to Google My Business. Many people don't know that. Do it! The Gmail account you use can also connect to other free Google services such as YouTube for video marketing.

Get reviews at your Google Business listing. People will be able to post ratings, reviews, and comments. They will be made through the person's Gmail account, which should keep the system honest and cut down on malicious or dishonest postings.

Get reviews on your Facebook Page. If you use and post to Facebook, every now and then be sure to ask for reviews.

Boost your ratings and reviews for more authority by paying attention to what people are saying about you online. Then implement good marketing strategies to make the most of what's working as well as fix anything that isn't working to your advantage.

Do you have other suggestions for increasing your ratings and reviews? Let us know.