How to Use Customer Testimonials to Improve Local SEO
Word of Mouth Still Works—Now It’s Just Digital
If you’re trying to get more leads, better rankings, and higher trust in your community, there’s one tool you might be overlooking: customer testimonials.
We’re not talking about generic “great job!” blurbs.
We’re talking about:
- Keyword-rich, location-specific praise
- Reviews that address real problems and results
- Quotes that convert readers into paying customers
In this post, we’ll break down how to use customer testimonials for local SEO that deliver results—not just warm fuzzies.
Why Testimonials Matter for Local Businesses
You can talk about your services all day—but a satisfied customer can do it better.
Customer testimonials help your local SEO by:
- Increasing keyword-rich content
- Boosting time on site and engagement
- Adding fresh, unique content
- Creating trust signals for Google and customers
- Encouraging backlinks and shares
They humanize your business and reinforce credibility in the local community.
What Makes a Great Testimonial?
Not all testimonials are created equal.
The best ones:
✅ Describe a problem the customer had
✅ Explain how your business solved it
✅ Mention a product, service, or specific outcome
✅ Include location cues (“in Grove City” or “our business in Butler”)
✅ Contain keywords your ideal customer might search
Bad example:
“Awesome job! Highly recommend.”
Better example:
“We had recurring Wi-Fi issues in our Cranberry Township office. NextGEN IT Solutions came in, assessed everything, and had us up and running with secure, high-speed Wi-Fi in under a day. Total game changer for our remote team.”
Where to Use Testimonials to Boost Local SEO
🖥 On Your Website
Create a dedicated testimonials page or add them to:
- Your homepage
- Service pages
- Local landing pages
- About page
- Blog posts (as embedded quotes or sidebars)
Pro Tip: Use schema markup (review structured data) to help search engines display star ratings in search results.
📍 Google Business Profile
Encourage customers to leave Google reviews. These are:
- Indexed by Google
- Boost your map pack visibility
- Viewed by nearly every searcher checking your business
Respond to each review to show engagement and authority.
📲 Social Media
Turn testimonials into:
- Quote graphics
- Video reels
- Instagram stories
- Facebook carousels
- TikTok voiceovers
Tag the customer (with permission) and include local hashtags.
📧 Email Campaigns
Add testimonials to your:
- Welcome sequence
- Promotions
- Seasonal emails
- Review request campaigns
You can even create “review roundups” to showcase community satisfaction.
📝 Blog Posts
Use testimonials as proof in blog posts like:
- “How We Helped a Grove City Salon Upgrade Their Network”
- “Real Results: Cybersecurity That Saved a Butler County Business”
- “Why Customers Love Our VoIP Services in Mercer, PA”
Insert quotes naturally to support the story.
How to Collect Better Testimonials
1. Ask at the Right Time
After a successful project, resolved issue, or completed service, ask:
“Would you be willing to share a few words about your experience with us? It really helps other local businesses find and trust us.”
2. Make It Easy
Provide a simple link to your:
- Google Business Profile review page
- Facebook reviews
- Website testimonial form
Use tools like:
- GatherUp
- Grade.us
- NiceJob
- Testimonial Tree
3. Ask Specific Questions
Don’t just ask for “a review.” Prompt them with questions like:
- What was the problem you were trying to solve?
- Why did you choose us?
- What specific results did we help you achieve?
- Would you recommend us to others in your area?
This gives you content-rich, keyword-friendly answers.
4. Offer an Incentive (Carefully)
You can’t pay for reviews, but you can say:
“We love hearing from happy clients—if you leave us a Google review this week, we’ll enter you in a drawing for a $25 local gift card!”
Just don’t require a positive review for entry.
Real-World Example: Trust Turns into Traffic
A home-based salon in Venango County added a testimonials section to each service page. Each review mentioned:
- The specific treatment
- The stylist’s name
- The town the client lived in
After 3 months:
- Pages ranked for 15+ new local search terms
- Google Business views increased by 47%
- Bookings from organic traffic grew by 39%
All from words their clients already wanted to share.
Avoid These Mistakes
❌ Using vague, impersonal reviews
❌ Forgetting to ask for location-specific feedback
❌ Not publishing reviews on your website
❌ Ignoring Google Business Profile
❌ Never updating testimonials with fresh content
Let Testimonials Work Harder for You
At NextGEN IT Solutions, we help local businesses:
- Collect and manage customer testimonials
- Embed them into high-converting website content
- Use reviews to boost rankings and authority
- Create visual testimonial campaigns for social media
- Develop email sequences to encourage 5-star feedback
📞 724-204-1950
🌐 https://nextgen-itsolutions.com/contact
Trust is earned—but it can also be published. Let your happiest customers do your marketing for you.
