Local retailers often have it tougher than many other types of brick-and-mortar businesses when it comes to driving foot traffic and sales. Not only do they have to compete with other local retail stores, but they also have to encourage people to choose them over major online competitors, like Amazon.
Because local retail businesses compete with both nearby stores and e-commerce shops, increasing their visibility in local search is absolutely essential for driving foot traffic and getting shoppers through their front doors. How? By doing local SEO.
As for any type of local business, doing local SEO for retailers requires a comprehensive approach. A big part of this is collecting reviews on various retail review sites.
Why Do Local Retail Reviews Matter for SEO?
Google and, to a lesser degree, other search engines look at a business's online reviews to determine its prominence, which is one of the most important local ranking factor categories.
Businesses that are more prominent, including those with lots of reviews and a high average review score, typically outrank businesses with fewer reviews and lower star ratings. For example, a retailer with 10 reviews and a 4.7/5-star rating is going to be much more visible in local search results than a retailer with just 3 reviews and a 3.9-star rating.
Since local SEO revolves primarily around Google Business Profile rankings, it's important to understand that Google reviews carry the most weight in the world of local search. However, after you've optimized a retail store's GBP listing and collected some reviews there, it's a good idea to make sure your business is listed on some other top retail review sites to maximize visibility.
Even if other review platforms don't drive anywhere near the traffic that Google Business Profile does, accumulating local retail reviews elsewhere can still benefit your overall local SEO strategy.
For instance, some search engines, like Bing, don't have their own built-in review system, so they pull reviews in from other trusted business listing and review sites, such as Yelp and Tripadvisor. Not only that, but well-reviewed businesses can appear more prominently in organic search results on Google (the blue links below the Maps results).
All of that being said, it's not really worth it to try and get reviews on every site possible. The key is to choose a few reputable retail review sites with relatively high traffic and focus on getting a handful of reviews there to supplement your Google review strategy.
What Are the Best Retail Review Sites for Local SEO?
1. Google Business Profile
As you've probably understood by now, Google Business Profile is the most important place for local retailers to gather reviews. Even if you don't get a single review anywhere else, it's still possible to rank well in local search simply through the power of GBP reviews.
Keep in mind that there's no magic number of Google reviews you need to rank in the local pack, but many local SEO pros say that 10 is a good number to shoot for if you're just getting started. This number could vary depending on a number of factors, such as the density of local competitors and the quantity and quality of their reviews.
It's also important to know that review recency matters to Google, too. So you can't just get 10 nice reviews and forget about it. Instead, you need to ensure you're collecting a steady stream of reviews over time to improve your review recency.
2. Yelp
Yelp is one of the most widely recognized review platforms for consumers searching for local businesses, especially in urban areas. While it's more popular in certain industries like food and personal services, many people still use Yelp to find and review local retail stores, including boutiques, gift shops, and specialty stores.
Getting a few high-quality reviews on Yelp can boost your store's visibility not only within Yelp's own app and site, but also in Bing search results and on Apple Maps, both of which sometimes use Yelp as a review source.
3. Tripadvisor
Though often associated with travel, Tripadvisor can be an excellent review site for local retailers in tourist-heavy areas, especially gift shops, artisan stores, clothing boutiques, and galleries. When visitors are researching things to do or places to shop while traveling, Tripadvisor's listings often appear prominently in search results.
If your store is in a downtown core, near a hotel zone, or located in a well-trafficked tourist destination, getting listed and reviewed on Tripadvisor can help draw in more visitors. Retailers can even respond to reviews on the platform, which adds credibility and shows engagement.
4. Facebook
Facebook still plays a strong role in local discovery, especially among older demographics and in smaller communities. Many people rely on Facebook's recommendations feature or browse local business pages to decide where to shop.
Positive reviews and comments on your Facebook page can increase visibility in both Facebook search and Google's organic results. Plus, since many retail businesses already use Facebook for marketing, asking for a quick recommendation from your loyal followers can be a simple, low-friction way to boost your review count.
5. Apple Maps
Apple Maps is becoming increasingly relevant for local SEO as more consumers rely on iPhones and other Apple devices for navigation. While Apple Maps doesn't have its own standalone review system, it displays reviews from other trusted sources like Yelp and Tripadvisor.
Ensuring your retail store is listed correctly in Apple Maps, with solid reviews on Yelp or Tripadvisor, can improve your appearance in Apple's location-based search results. It's especially important for reaching customers who use Siri or the Apple Maps app to find local shopping options while on the go.
Are There Any Industry-Specific Sites for Local Retail Reviews?
Unlike industries such as healthcare or legal services, where platforms like Healthgrades or Avvo serve as dedicated, industry-specific review sites, there aren't any major review platforms that exist solely for local retail businesses.
Retail is a broad and highly varied category, encompassing everything from clothing stores and bookshops to furniture showrooms and toy stores. Because of this diversity, there hasn't been a strong push to create a centralized review site just for retail in the way there has been for more specialized service industries.
Instead, local retailers are reviewed and discovered primarily through general platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Tripadvisor. These platforms allow consumers to leave reviews for virtually any type of business and are already deeply integrated into search engines, mobile apps, and mapping tools.
For most retailers, focusing on getting reviews on a handful of these high-traffic, general-purpose review platforms (with the main focus being on Google Business Profile) remains the most effective strategy.
