For many industries, online review sites have a huge effect on foot traffic, brand perception, and a company’s bottom line. In fact, a recent study by BusinessWeek found that 70% of US consumers now consult review sites or ratings prior to making a purchase. In this hyper-competitive landscape, how can a brand approach review sites head-on to ensure that they are properly listed, optimized for search, and engaged with their audience? Citing industry trends, examples, and best practices, 451 Marketing Director of Search Marketing Francis Skipper will teach attendees how to make the most of these popular sites.

1. Navigating Online Review Sites

2. Francis Skipper
Director of Search Marketing
415.542.6250
francis@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip
www.451Marketing.com

3. Wait, you’re a search marketing
guy…why are you talking to us
about review sites?

4. Restaurant Website
Review Sites Dominate Search Results

5. Keyword and Linking Opportunities

6. Why are Review Sites
Important to Me?

7. Traffic to top review sites grew on average
158% last year
46% feel they can be brutally honest on the Internet
7 in 10 who read reviews share them
with friends, family, colleagues
Reviews on a site can boost conversion
+20%
(Compete, 2011; Harris Poll, 2010; Deloitte & Touche, 2010; Bazaarvoice, 2010)

8. 70% now consult reviews or
ratings before purchasing
Consumers are 50% more likely to use a
local business after a positive review
(BusinessWeek, 2011)

9. of people trust peer recommendations
Only 14% trust advertisements
(Qualmann, Socialnomics, 2010)

10. The Major US Review Sites

11. 250,000 new
claimants a month

13. Every other second,
directions/call from Yelp app
>61 million unique
monthly visitors
22 million reviews 1/3 of all Yelp.com
searches from mobile
(Yelp, 2011)

14. Not just restaurants!
Changing
demographics
Quantcast 2011

15. >50 million unique
monthly visitors
20 million members 60 million reviews

16. 4 million unique 15 million
monthly visitors reviewers

17. 1.4 million unique
monthly visitors

18. Claim and Build Listings

19. Claim

20. Claim
google.com/places

21. Claim

22. Fill Out Completely

23. Use Keywords!

24. Be Consistent

25. Monitor Your Listings

27. Take an Active Role

28. Don’t forget
• Your reviewers are your paying customers
• Your reviewers are human beings with
(sometimes unpredictable) feelings
• Your reviewers are vocal and opinionated
(otherwise they would not be writing
reviews!)

29. Responding to a Positive Review

30. Responding to a Negative Review
• Take a deep breath
• Acknowledge: thank you for the business
and the feedback
• Act: If you can, be specific about the
customer's experience and any changes
you may have made as a result; this could
go very far in earning trust.
• Take the conversation offline

31. Review Distribution
(Yelp, 08/11)

32. Use Feedback
to Improve Your Brand

33. Advertise

34. Remind Customers of
Your Online Presence -
Offline

36. Review Site Deals and Promotions

37. Take-Aways
• Presence on review sites is essential
• List, claim, build
• Complete profiles as much as possible
• Use your keywords
• Monitor profiles
• Be active on sites when necessary
• DON’T solicit reviews
• Think before you respond
• Use them as a tool for improvement
• Make your presence known

38. About 451 Marketing
• Founded in 2004
• Based in Boston
• 25 Communications Professionals
• Partners Nicholas Lowe,
AJ Gerritson, and Tom Lee
• Named a 2011

40. We specialize in:
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Paid Search and Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Paid Media Management
• Traditional and Digital Public Relations
• Targeted Press Releases
• Content Creation
• Social Media Marketing
• Social Media Strategy Development/Training
• Web Design and Implementation
• Brand Development

41. Francis Skipper
Director of Search Marketing
415.542.6250
francis@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip
www.451Marketing.com

42. Questions?

43. Navigating Online Review Sites