E833: Online reviews are one of the most important ranking and conversion factors in digital marketing - yet most businesses ignore them.
Reputation management experts Duane “DJ” Sprague and Scott Brandley break down how they helped a national brand turn a flood of bad reviews into $190 million in new revenue - and how you can use the same strategies to improve your SEO, visibility, and trust online.
We cover everything from how to bury negative results in Google search to how to build long-term brand credibility with real customer feedback. If you care about SEO, brand reputation, or conversion optimization, this episode is packed with practical insights.
Topics discussed:
- How reviews directly influence Google rankings and click-through rates
- The importance of verified third-party reviews for SEO and brand trust
- A full breakdown of how schema-optimized Q&A content can rank for featured snippets
- Why negative reviews can increase conversions when handled correctly
- Proven systems for managing and distributing reviews across multiple platforms
- How to use video reviews, press releases, and user-generated content to dominate search results
- The difference between open vs. verified review sites - and which ones to focus on
- Step-by-step advice for recovering from a bad reputation or negative press
- Real-world SEO case studies showing thousands of percent growth from review optimization
- How AI and search engines use brand mentions to measure authority
This episode reveals the lesser-known side of SEO - where online reputation, authenticity, and trust signals decide who wins on page one.
⭐️ Free Book - Reputation King - https://www.reputationking.com/download/
⭐️ Shopper Approved - https://shopperapproved.com
⭐️ Search-Optimized Q&A Tool - https://results.shopperapproved.com/qa
⭐️ Duane “DJ” Sprague - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanesprague/
⭐️ Scott Brandley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-brandley/
⭐️ Matthew Stafford on the podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmaKHu269Cg
💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Introduction to Online Reputation Management
00:37 Crazy Review Management Stories
01:10 The Importance of Reviews in SEO
03:06 Q&A Tool for SEO Optimization
12:05 Effective Review Collection Strategies
21:11 Leveraging Video Reviews for SEO
36:16 The Importance of Negative Reviews
40:15 Addressing Negative Online Reviews
40:38 The Power of Positive Reviews
41:59 Frequency and Recency in Reviews
43:11 Leveraging Video and Social Media
44:39 AI Search and Brand Mentions
46:11 The Revival of Press Releases
53:35 Responding to Bad Reviews with Empathy
56:44 The Role of Phone Support in Conversion
01:01:39 Cash Flow Optimization for E-commerce
01:02:46 Preventing False Declines and Chargebacks
01:10:45 Increasing Branded Searches
01:15:08 Conclusion and Free Digital Book Offer
The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #ecommerce #performancemarketing