By Avner (Local SEO Specialist and Former UX Researcher / E-Commerce Manager)
I was an e-commerce manager for over 10 years, serving as the sole creative lead behind Amazon brands that grossed tens of millions of dollars. I want to share some insights on product conversion that I’ve found to be effective for local SEO.
1. “Features Tell, Benefits Sell”
“Features Tell, Benefits Sell” quote by Rick Cesari, the guy behind the George Forman Grill infomercials. The idea is that it’s more important to first focus on the perceived benefits to the customers than describing the features of a product. This principle applies to local services as well. Including a short “Why Choose Us” section on your homepage – linked to a more detailed, standalone page – can significantly improve site engagement and conversion. Are you the only dentist in your area that’s open on Sunday, or is not part of a corporate chain? Are you the only hotdog place that serves grassfed meat? Highlighting these benefits early on your website lets customers know what makes you unique and encourages them to take action. When designing your site, make sure the benefits to consumers appear prominently near the top of the page.
2. Systematically Solicit Reviews
Amazon allows automatic review request emails to be sent to customers, and I believe all local business owners should have a similar system. Automating your review requests is essential because collecting reviews can be time-consuming, and leaving it entirely up to customers increases the likelihood of receiving negative reviews over positive ones.
In a competitive niche, the top businesses all have a strategy for this. Whether you instruct your team to ask for reviews or assign a dedicated person to manage the process, having a consistent system for collecting reviews is an essential part of business success. Even a .1 increase to your review ratings, can increase conversion by as much as 25%.
3. Maximize Click-Through with an Enticing Offer
Make your original offer as enticing as possible to maximize click-through rates. On Amazon, where you’re competing with sellers across the U.S. (and China), even small changes – like the background color of your main image – can influence how often customers click on your products (click-through rate) and, over time, help you outrank competitors.
For local businesses, competition isn’t as fierce – you usually only need to outperform 3-4 competitors in your city – but the principle still applies. To maximize click-through rates, include multiple attractive images on your homepage or landing pages, such as high-quality shots of your business exterior and interior, certifications, testimonials, and staff. These provide Google with more options to display in search results.
Additionally, in my experience, Google doesn’t penalize long title tags. You can use up to 200 characters in your title to highlight additional advantages of your business. Google may select different parts of the title depending on the search query and conversion potential, helping your snippet stand out.
4. Build Trust with Authentic Images
Building trust with authentic images is key for conversion. On Amazon, professionally photographed products converted at roughly 30% higher than their counterparts. This principle holds true for websites as well, where overreliance on generic images can hurt trust and cause brand dilution – making you appear like any other competitor site. In one study, using authentic photos increased conversion by a factor of 2.6 compared to stock images. Differentiate yourself by including authentic images of your business and staff, and sprinkle in a few videos that can be featured throughout your site.
5. Leverage the Power of Video
Even one or two videos can be a game-changer. On Amazon, adding a video can boost conversion by up to 144%. In my experience working with clients, videos provide a significant benefit not only for on-site conversion but also for ranking on Google – and because fewer competitors use them, they can rank for more cities and help you reach a wider audience.
6. Respond Quickly to Customers
Check Amazon reviews and you’ll find many unhappy customers who were willing to give the business a chance but couldn’t reach them on time. This is why providing great service, responding to emails, and responding to reviews on GBP is crucial. Publicly responding to google reviews also shows customers that you’re a responsible business – and it can have a positive effect on conversion.
7. Use Ads with Surgical Precision
Ads are expensive on both Amazon and Google and are designed to get sellers and business owners fighting each other in a bidding war until there are no profits left. If you do want to use sponsored ads (although I think it’s less advisable until you’ve optimized your business for conversion), you should have an extremely precise system for tracking keyword success and failure – possibly automatically adjusting bid prices based on results – and check performance frequently. Otherwise, you risk wasting a significant amount of money.
8. Test Everything
Assuming that clients have the same knowledge of your business or products as you do is one of the most common mistakes in e-commerce. I’ve found many product images that I personally expected to succeed fail spectacularly in attracting clicks – and vice versa.
In the case of local SEO, this is why testing your site is so important. Try this yourself: have three different people with little information about your business attempt a task on your site and verbalize what they’re doing. I bet the results will surprise you and could lead you to make changes. People often focus on making websites beautiful but forget to make them easy to use. A frustrated user is a forever lost customer.