Countless studies have shown that consumers are more likely to make a purchase when they can see reviews from other buyers. Being able to read opinions from a trusted source validates their acquisitions. Furthermore, more often than not, people decide on what products to study by simply typing a few words into the Google search bar. Typing something like “juicers” will trigger millions of search results, but what most often catches the eye are the product listings and images above the results.
While these product-listing ads have been successful in driving traffic, Google wants to take it one step further by including product ratings below the images. The ratings will appear in the form of stars and counts. The ratings will be pulled from several places including merchants, review sites, third parties and users. Moreover, it should be no surprise that test samples performed by Google have proven that these ratings have increased the click-through-rates on a consistent basis.
To have a product added to the listings, merchants selling in the U.S. must submit a ratings form and submit their review content directly with Google or through an approved party. Because Google expects an enormous amount of requests, plan on waiting patiently for your inquiry to be addressed. Merchants selling internationally will be able to reap the benefits of this new feature in the near future.
Any merchant that has a strong following accompanied by quality reviews would be wise to submit a request to Google for the ratings services. Consumers are constantly on the hunt for a dependable product and with the help of Google, things just got a lot easier.