The pandemic has resulted in a drop in overall online reviews with fewer people going out, notes Google.
Online reviews help small businesses manage online reputation, boost visibility in local search and improve search ranking in Google My Business (GMB). 51% of the reviews on Yelp’s platform in 2020 were 5-star, while 2-star and 1-star reviews were only 7% and 17%.
This reflects consumers’ behaviour of either leaving reviews when they are extremely pleased or dissatisfied. With users becoming web-savvy, trust from online reviews has diminished, as 79% of US consumers don’t trust online reviews, as per BrightLocal’s 2020 survey.
Moreover, the number of fake online reviews have increased. Brands must assess review platforms like Yelp, and GMB to identify and remove these reviews. Further, the disruptions caused by COVID-19 led Google to pause its review services to prevent small businesses from getting negative reviews.
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