Best Online Review Aggregators- Google Approved
If you have been using Google for any given amount of time, you will have noticed the golden stars that appear on some ads. What do these stars represent and, if you are a seller or a manufacturer, how can you get them to appear below your own ads and products? And how useful are they in increasing your Click Through Rate (CRT)?
Below, we take a look at Shopper Approved, one of the companies that are approved to syndicate online review data to Google for use in product and star ratings. A word of warning; we are a Shopper Approved affiliate, and stand to benefit should you choose to sign up using our link. However, this article is not just so much fluff that is put out to get people to take a particular course of action. Shopper Approved is, without doubt, one of the best review syndication companies that you will be able to find anywhere out there;
What Are Star Ratings Extensions?
Star Ratings are a 5 star system that is used by Google and other Search Engines to reflect the performance of a particular product or seller, based on the reviews that have been received from customers. Star rating extensions are based on aggregated data from a wide range of sources.
Why are Star Ratings Important?
Star Ratings are, without doubt, a good way through which you can reach out to potential customers. Whether they are Seller Ratings or Product Ratings, the stars that appear below you advertisements and in organic traffic are of importance because they tell people that yours is a trusted brand.
In fact, Google itself points out that AdWords ads that have star ratings receive a 17% boost in the Click Through Rate. This is clearly important, particularly for sellers and product manufacturers. Getting reviewed by a Google Approved aggregator gives you the edge that you need to get ahead of the pack.
Word-of-Mouth: The Modern Version
Not so long ago, we all relied on our peers for information about the quality and performance of various products and services. Today, the world has become much more fragmented. The thing that now unites us is the connectivity that we get through the use of various internet based technologies.
Review and Social Media sites are modern day versions of the word-of-mouth phenomenon that drove sales decades ago. Today, instead of asking your neighbor about that juicer that you have been coveting for so long, all that you need to do is go online and you will come across hundreds of reviews that were left by people who have already tried out the appliance.
A visual signal
Indeed, Star Ratings serve as a visual signal of the performance of a particular product or service. A product that has received five star reviews is likely to attract more attention than ones that do not even have star ratings. In AdWords ads and Search, the stars represent a quick and easy to understand and measure of quality. So, where do Star Ratings come from?
Where do Star Ratings Come From?
Google bases Star Ratings on the reviews that are aggregated and syndicated by a number of reputable companies. This makes it important for you to, should you wish to have Star Ratings appear below your AdSense ads and in your organic search results, to choose a Google approved company to handle the syndication of your online reviews. The following companies are the only ones that are approved to syndicate reviews to Google;
- Ausgezeichnet.org
- Bazaarvoice
- Bizrate
- eKomi
- E-Komerco
- ECã ã
- The Feedback Company
- Feefo
- TrustPilot
- ResellerRatings
- Reviews.co.uk
- Reevoo
- Shopper Approved
- ShopVote.de
- ShopAuskunft
- StellaService
- TrustedCompany
- Trusted Shops
- Verified Reviews
- PowerReviews
- Yopi.de
- Yotpo
- FIA-NET
- Hardware.info
- KiyOh
- Klantenvertellen
- Poulpeo
Star Ratings also come from the following sources;
- Google Customer Reviews
- StellaService
- Performance data from Google Shopping
- Google Consumer Surveys ratings
Google Star Ratings: Seller Ratings and Product Ratings
Google Star Ratings can roughly be divided into Seller Ratings and Product Ratings. All of them will appear in Google Search results, but there are key differences between them. One thing that you need to note is that not all the companies that are listed in this article have been approved to syndicate both seller and product ratings to Google.
Bizrate, as an example, is licensed to push seller ratings into Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs). However, it has not been approved to push Product Ratings. ShopperApproved, Ekomi and Trustpilot are examples of companies that are authorized to syndicate both Seller and Product ratings to Google. So, what are Product Ratings and Seller Ratings?
Seller Ratings
Seller Ratings, as you can see in the above screenshot, are a type of Star Rating system that is based on the reviews that a business has received from its customers.
Where and when do Seller Ratings Show?
Seller Ratings show in AdWords Search ads and are a good way of showing people that yours is a reputable business. They will only appear in your ads when your business has attained a rating of at least 3.5 stars.
What this means in reality is that you should not be afraid of having 1 star ratings show on your ads, which would be a huge disservice to your. Seller Ratings will also only appear when you have accumulate at least 150 reviews.
Product Ratings
Unlike Seller Ratings, Product Ratings have mainly to do with the feedback that has been received on a particular product, and not on the seller. They are a good way through which you can appeal directly to relevant customers, by showing the level of satisfaction that their peers have had with a particular product.
Where do Product Ratings Show?
Product Ratings are displayed on AdSense Ads and in Google Shopping. As you can see in the above screenshot, the Star Ratings appear on some products when we make a search query for “juicers,” in Google. People are much more likely to choose a product that has received a lot of positive reviews, which is why product ratings matter. Ask yourself, would you go for a product that other buyers have found satisfaction in or one that has virtually no reviews?
Organic Star Ratings
We have already noted that Seller Ratings appear below text ads in Google. The same also applies for Product Ratings. So, how about the Star Ratings that appear in organic traffic? Where do they come from and how do they work?
How Organic Star Ratings Work
Organic Star Ratings work in the same way as Seller and Product Ratings. They are syndicated to Google and other Search Engines by the third parties that we have already noted in the above. The only difference is that they do not appear in product or shop advertisements, but in organic Search results.
Bike Bandit, the company that is featured in the above screenshot, appears when we search for “Motorcycle parts,” in Google. Although the company does not appear right at the top of search results, the fact that it has received so many positive reviews from past customers is likely to further spur business.
How to get Organic Star Ratings
The companies that are included in this review will, as we have already noted, syndicate Star Ratings to Google, Yahoo and other Search Engines. You can also get Organic Star Ratings by adding the relevant schema to your website. This directs Google to the relevant reviews, which enables it to display them whenever your business appears in organic search results. Check out this article to find out more on what you can do to achieve this result.
Shopper Approved Review
We wont bore you with a longish Shopper Approved review here. Needless to say that if you are looking for the best platform to manage your online reviews, then Shopper Approved is what you are looking for. The company offers the following;
- Merchant reviews
- Product reviews
- Local reviews
The good thing about Shopper Approved is that your reviews get syndicated to the widest range of search engines;
- Yahoo
- Bing
- Citysearch
- YouTube
With Shopper Approved, you get the tools that you need to collect all types of reviews, including Video Testimonials. You also get 5 star ratings in Google, which gives you the kind of visibility that you need to attract customers. Whether you are looking for product reviews, local review or merchant reviews, Shopper Approved has you covered. So, what are you waiting feel. Click on the banner below to get going with Shopper Approved today!