Local SEO Reviews I 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A multi-location business wants to collect reviews efficiently. What is the best approach?
- Direct all customers to the main headquarters listing
- Create a unique review link for each individual location's GBP listing (Correct answer)
- Use one aggregated review page on the website for all locations
- Ask customers to copy-paste the same review to each location
Correct answer: Create a unique review link for each individual location's GBP listing
Each GBP location has its own review profile, so unique links for each location ensure reviews build the correct listing.
Question 2: What should a business AVOID including in a public response to a negative review?
- An apology and offer to make things right
- The customer's full name and personal details to prove the interaction happened (Correct answer)
- A brief explanation of the business's standard process
- An invitation to contact the business directly
Correct answer: The customer's full name and personal details to prove the interaction happened
Sharing a customer's personal information publicly in a review response violates privacy norms and can escalate the situation.
Question 3: Which factor about reviews does Google's documentation identify as contributing to local search prominence?
- The length of each individual review
- The number, recency, and diversity of reviews (Correct answer)
- Whether reviews include photos
- The reading level of the review text
Correct answer: The number, recency, and diversity of reviews
Google's own documentation states that number, recency, and diversity of reviews contribute to a business's local search prominence.
Question 4: A customer left a 1-star review with no text. Can the business request Google to remove it?
- Yes, text-free reviews are automatically removed by Google
- No, star-only reviews without text do not violate Google's policies (Correct answer)
- Yes, any anonymous review can be removed on request
- No, but the business can hide it from their listing
Correct answer: No, star-only reviews without text do not violate Google's policies
Google permits star-only reviews with no written content, so they do not qualify for removal under policy violations.
Question 5: What is the significance of 'review keywords' in local SEO?
- They allow businesses to add searchable tags to their listing
- Keywords in reviews can influence which searches a listing appears for (Correct answer)
- They are used only in the Q&A section of GBP
- Review keywords are weighted the same as website page keywords
Correct answer: Keywords in reviews can influence which searches a listing appears for
When customers mention specific services or products in reviews, those keywords can help a listing rank for related local searches.
Question 6: Which platform should a healthcare provider in the US prioritize for reviews alongside Google?
- Angi
- Healthgrades (Correct answer)
- Houzz
- Thumbtack
Correct answer: Healthgrades
Healthgrades is the leading industry-specific review platform for healthcare providers and heavily influences patient trust in the US.
Question 7: A business notices a cluster of 1-star reviews posted within 24 hours — likely a review attack. What is the recommended first response?
- Reply aggressively to each review to defend the business
- Report all reviews to Google via GBP and document evidence of the attack (Correct answer)
- Create a new GBP listing to avoid the bad reviews
- Offer refunds to each reviewer publicly in responses
Correct answer: Report all reviews to Google via GBP and document evidence of the attack
Reporting suspicious reviews with documentation gives Google the evidence needed to investigate and potentially remove them.
A multi-location business wants to collect reviews efficiently.
What is the best approach?