When it comes in implementing digital strategies for your property management company, building your online reputation is one of the most important areas upon which to focus. When you first start looking into online reputation for your property management company, you’ll find there are two main websites that matter: Google and Yelp. A lot of our clients ask us, “Which is more important?” That’s a great question, so today we’re looking at both of those sites.
How Yelp Shows Up In Search Rankings
Yelp is especially important for Yahoo and Bing users. When someone uses one of those two search engines (Yahoo and Bing) to look for your company, your Yelp rating is going to show up next to your company name in the local business section of the results page. In addition, the Bing results page will feature your Yelp rating next to the link to your company’s Yelp page.
The same goes for Google. If someone is searching your business name in Google, your Yelp stars will show up next to the link to your company’s Yelp page.
Why Google Matters for Property Management Companies
One thing that does make a difference is that Google has a significant majority of searches in the United States as opposed to other search engine sites. If people are looking for a property management company, it’s more likely that they’re going to turn to Google to find businesses like yours.
When someone searches for your company on Google, they will see your rating in a couple of places. First, it will show up next to the Google business listing that appears below the map. That star rating will also show up in local search results. Gathering those positive Google reviews also has an important impact on your local Google ranking. Lastly, you can also choose to showcase your positive Google rating in your AdWords ads (make sure you have at least 5 Google reviews to do so).
Provide Options on Review Requests
While it’s true that Google gives you a larger opportunity to get in front of more people, you don’t want to alienate the users on Yelp. Although some people will search exclusively on Google, there are also potential customers who are using Bing and Yahoo. Also, there is a growing number of people that goes straight to Yelp’s website to look for local services. Therefore, the best idea is to give people an option. When you send out review requests for your property management business, think about adding two separate links in the email requests. Your email can say:
If you use Google, click here.
If you use Yelp, click here.
Note: Link your Google review page and your Yelp reviews page on the “click here” when sending out those requests.
So, in short, Yelp reviews can show up in both Bing, Yahoo and Google search results pages, while Google only shows up in Google. However, since Google gets more searches than Bing and Yahoo combined, coupled with the ability to have your rating show up in your AdWords campaign, it makes both Google and Yelp reviews equally important. Instead of choosing one site over the other, cast a wide review net and make it easy for your potential reviewers to leave positive remarks on either site. If you need any help with this or you have any questions about marketing your property management business, please contact us at Fourandhalf – Internet Marketing for Property Management Companies.
