Plus, how Google is making it that much easier for users to check online customer reviews.

Your website reputation plays a big role in how well it ranks in search engine results. Red flags, like plagiarized content, security issues, and other factors will signal Google and other search platforms to push your site farther down the page, or even bump you to the second page (a veritable SEO death sentence). 

Online reviews are another important factor in website reputation. At the moment, checking reviews involves visiting multiple platforms, such as Yelp and Google Reviews, to get a general idea of the customer experience. Soon, however, users and site owners will be able to check reviews from these platforms in one place via Chrome’s AI-powered Store Reviews feature. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of website reputation and how to use Store Reviews to your advantage . 

What Is Website Reputation?

Website reputation refers to the overall perception of a site’s trustworthiness, reliability, and credibility. It’s an important measure that influences how individuals and organizations interact with a website for information, transactions, or services.

A website’s reputation is shaped by various factors, including its content quality, user experience, and security measures. For instance, a website with clear navigation, high-quality information, and secure payment options is more likely to earn a positive reputation than one plagued by poor design, broken links, or malicious ads.

Reviews, ratings, and testimonials provide direct insights into how others perceive the site, which can also improve the website’s reputation. Positive feedback builds trust, while negative reviews can raise red flags about issues such as customer service, product quality, or site reliability.

Why Should You Care About Website Reputation?

As we mentioned above, website reputation is a critical factor in SEO. A site that is seen as untrustworthy will rank lower in search results. The point of SEO is the opposite-the higher you rank, the better your traffic, and the more your customer base will grow. 

Your traffic percentage goes down drastically the lower you rank. The difference between results on the first and second page of Google, for example, is quite shocking: between 71 and 92 percent of users report clicking sites on the first page only. The number falls to below 6 percent for the second page. 

Long story short, you want to do everything in your power to help your site rank higher. Website reputation should be a top priority in your SEO strategy. 

Top Website Reputation Killers

A lot of things can hurt your website’s reputation. Here are the big ones:

1. Poor Content Quality

• Duplicate Content: Copy-pasting from other sites is a no-go.
• Outdated Info: Keep your content fresh and accurate.
• Grammatical Errors: Typos scream “unprofessional.”
• Keyword Stuffing: Overloading keywords turns off readers and search engines.

2. Slow Website Performance

• Long Load Times: If your site takes over 3 seconds to load, visitors might bail.
• Unoptimized Media: Huge image or video files can drag down speed.
• Server Downtime: Frequent crashes make your site look unreliable.

3. Bad User Experience (UX)

• Confusing Navigation: Don’t make visitors hunt for info.
• Intrusive Ads: Too many pop-ups = instant frustration.
• Non-Mobile-Friendly Design: Most people browse on their phones—don’t forget to make your site work well on mobile devices.
• Broken Links: Dead links damage trust.

4. Weak Security Measures

• No HTTPS Protocol: An SSL certificate is free to obtain and gives your site the “https” designation before the url. This lets users know your site is secure. Without it, Google labels it “not secure” in the url bar (see below).
• Data Breaches: Losing customer info is a surefire way to tank your reputation.
• Malicious Content: Hosting malware gets you blacklisted by browsers.

5. Watch Out for Negative SEO Practices

• Spammy Backlinks: Linking to or getting links from low-quality, spammy sites? That’s a big no from search engines.
• Over-Optimization: Stuffing your site with keywords and focusing on algorithms instead of real users? It’s a bad look.
• Cloaking or Deceptive Practices: Tricking users by showing one thing to them and something else to search engines will also hurt your site reputation.

6. Poor Online Reviews and Reputation Management

• No Social Proof: If potential customers don’t see testimonials, reviews, or success stories, they might think twice.
• Ignoring Complaints: Bad reviews can hurt, but not addressing them is worse. If you have customer complaints, respond to them! Silence speaks volumes—and not in a good way.

7. Content Issues 

• Plagiarism: Copy-pasting content doesn’t just hurt your credibility—it could get you into legal trouble.
• Irrelevant or Misleading Content: Always deliver what you promise in your titles and descriptions. No one likes clickbait.

8. Accessibility Issues

• Not ADA-Compliant: If your site isn’t inclusive of people with disabilities alienates a huge potential audience. It is also a legal requirement, so don’t skip it.. 
• Unreadable Text: Poor font choices, low contrast, or cluttered layouts can make your content difficult or even impossible to read. Don’t let bad design be the reason people don’t stay on your site.

9. Lack of Trust Signals

• No Contact Information: Sites without clear ways to contact the company seem untrustworthy. Ideally, sites should have at least 2 ways customers can contact (the more, the better).  
• Hidden Pricing or Terms: Failing to be upfront about costs or policies can appear cagey. 
• No Privacy Policy: Customers should have reassurance about how and if their data is going to be used.

10. Inconsistent Branding or Messaging

• Poor Visual Design: Outdated or overly simplistic designs can make customers question how much you value their experience on your site.
• Conflicting Messages: Mixed or unclear branding is confusing, and no one likes to be confused when they’re trying to make a decision.

So, How Can You Keep An Eye On Your Site’s Reputation More Easily? Enter Chrome’s AI Store Reviews.

Google Chrome’s AI Store Reviews feature is designed to help users quickly gauge a website’s trustworthiness based on reviews from prior customers. As the name suggests, it relies on reviews it curates from existing sites, including Scam Advisor, Trust Pilot, and, of course, Google. It is a convenient way to get a good idea of how existing customers feel about a brand without having to visit multiple sites.

Once Store Reviews is officially released, using it is fairly straightforward:

• Open Google Chrome and navigate to the website you want to check.
• Click on the “view site information” button in the URL bar (located to the left of the URL link).
• Select the option to view the “Store Reviews” for the site.
• Review the AI-generated summary of user feedback, ratings, and other website trust indicators.

It may even be simpler than that. Another iteration we’ve come across in Google Canary (Google’s developer platform) is a simple button in the search bar that gives you access to the AI reviews and star ratings.

What Does Google’s Store Reviews Mean For Site Owners?

Of course, reviews are only one part of a site’s reputation (see above). As far as potential customers are concerned, however, reviews are everything. 95 percent of users will look at reviews before buying, and displaying reviews can increase conversion rates (a.k.a. a purchase) by as much as 270 percent! Not only that, customers are willing to spend more money on products that have positive reviews. 

AI Store Reviews streamlines the customer’s research process, allowing them to get a sense of a brand’s reputation in one place rather than having to visit multiple review sites. It is ultimately a small convenience that stands to have a big impact on both user experience and website reputation. 

Businesses will thus want to prioritize a review strategy that involves cultivating positive reviews from verified buyers, responding to reviews (both positive and negative), and using the reviews as a valuable tool that can help you identify trends in customer preferences. In doing so, they can ensure the AI generated information provided by Chrome will be as favorable as possible. 

When Will You Be Able to Check Website Reputation With Store Reviews?

There is not an official release date for Chrome’s AI store reviews, but there was some speculation that it would become more widely available this month (December 2024). It seems to have been briefly available in Google Canary earlier this month, but has since been rolled back. 

Are You Confident Your Website Is Making The Best Impression?

RCG Advertising & Media specializes in customized digital marketing strategies that can enhance your website’s reputation while also increasing your business’ visibility and conversion rate. As an omnichannel marketing firm, we offer a diverse menu of services to achieve your goals. Let’s work together to create a website reputation that builds trust and drives results