by Yet review platforms offer tremendous potential for successfully positioning one’s brand. Companies rarely take advantage of this opportunity, often because their social media strategies are driven by trends—such as today’s buzz platforms, Twitter and Facebook. As a result, businesses not only miss out on significant competitive advantages but also lose access to important target audiences. It would be far more effective for them to assess strategic, audience-specific channels from a business perspective instead of merely following trends.
Companies that rely on review platform feedback have already realized how important these portals are for their brand image. For example, in the tourism industry, it has long been more critical to monitor review portals like HolidayCheck, TripAdvisor, and HRS than traditional channels like blogs, Facebook, or Twitter—especially since tweets become unsearchable after just a few weeks. In contrast, comments on review portals preserve opinions for decades. However, it’s important to note that these platforms can help or harm a business in the long run.
From an SEO perspective, review portals are particularly powerful
They combine user-generated content, a strong social media aspect, and a focus on interconnectivity. In essence, they bring together all the ingredients of high search engine rankings:
Quantity, Quality, and Freshness.
As a result, review portals are very well-ranked, and their content often appears at the top of search results—especially when relevant keywords are entered in Google or other search engines.
Major platforms like Ciao and Yelp often rank higher than companies’ own corporate websites. That means when someone searches for a product, review listings and user comments appear first, while the company’s official content appears much further down. Consequently, brand communication on the web is no longer controlled by companies, but rather shaped by the power of the community.
Search Behavior & Long Tail SEO
Users don’t always enter exact product names when searching. Instead, they tend to find more relevant results through long-tail search terms—that is, keyword combinations—than through generic “power keywords.”
For example, in the telecommunications sector, users are more likely to search for terms like “affordable smartphone” or “iPhone case” than just “smartphone” or “iPhone”. Power keywords produce an overwhelming amount of results, often requiring additional filters afterward. That’s why the majority of users rely on long-tail keywords to narrow down their search right from the start—and review portals are rich in exactly that kind of content.
Review Portals Also Offer Potential for Black Hat SEOs
Just one post on a high-ranking review portal can be enough to attract the full attention of a target audience. There are plenty of bad examples to follow. A Google search for “Vodafone scam” leads not only to forum posts but also to high-ranking entries on review portals. Anyone searching for negative internship experiences at Daimler will find a top result on Ciao.de by searching “Daimler internship disappointment.”
If someone wants to harm a company or competitor, all it takes is a single strategically titled post on an already well-ranked portal. The most impactful titles tend to follow this pattern: company name + “bad”. Often, it takes only a few days for such terms to appear at the top of Google results. This vulnerability is particularly exploited in industries like construction, where unscrupulous providers use such tactics to defame large corporations. And most companies aren’t even aware they’re under attack, unless they regularly monitor the web for such keywords using professional tools.
As early as 2006, a study conducted by Cologne University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with Ford Germany showed that potential buyers actively search for recurring defects in vehicles to avoid getting a bad deal (Fank et al., 2006). It’s common for users to search with negative keywords like “Audi A4 recurring defects.” Users aren’t looking for perfect, flawless products—they want to know the downsides before making a purchase.
Review Portals Can Be Monitored—for Damage Control
If posts contain legally problematic content such as defamation, they can be removed by reporting them to the platform. However, it’s even better to have continuous, high-quality monitoring, including a professional alerting and clearing process.
Amazon Product Listings
Product listings without images—like the one described—often drive users to switch to other products.
Posting Fake Reviews Is Highly Unethical and Risky
Publishing your own reviews on rating platforms is considered extremely unethical. While it might bring theoretical SEO benefits, it can also be illegal and a violation of unfair competition laws. It requires cloaking techniques, such as hiding your IP address to avoid detection. Aside from breaking the terms of service of these platforms, the community can often spot manipulated content, potentially leading to public backlash. For companies, this reputational risk is far greater than the legal consequences.
In short: Companies should never post self-authored reviews on rating platforms.
What Companies Can Do
There are legitimate ways for businesses to influence how their products are perceived:
- Ensure complete and accurate product information appears on review portals.
- Use high-resolution images to improve visual presentation.
- Recognize that users no longer rely solely on a company’s own website for product details.
In the age of Web 2.0, users often stay entirely within platforms like Amazon when researching a product.
For niche products, user research often extends into forums as well.
Lack of Monitoring Tools
Many companies lack the tools to monitor reviews properly. On Amazon, for instance, products are also sold by third-party vendors via the Marketplace. With access to Seller Central, any individual or organization can list products for sale.
This means manufacturers need the right tools to scan Amazon for listings of their products and ensure the correct product information is displayed.
User-Generated Videos and Visual Reviews
Amazon and many other review platforms now allow users to upload images and product videos—even if they’re not the seller. These videos are often highly professional, thanks to modern recording equipment. With DSLR cameras, users can now produce Hollywood-quality footage, sharing their enthusiasm—or frustration—about a product with a much larger audience than ever before.
Missed Opportunities in Social Media Engagement
Surprisingly, few companies take advantage of these amateur videos to improve product perception. Partnerships with opinion leaders also remain underutilized. A thorough social media audit is highly recommended to help companies explore these options and improve their engagement on review portals.
Sources:
Fank, M. et al. (2006). Web Monitoring 2005–2006 Report. Research report, Institute for Information Science, Cologne University of Applied Sciences.
