How To Get Your IT Company on the First Page of Google Using Customer Reviews

Ranking organically on Google’s first page as an MSP can feel impossible at times. High value, organic keywords like “IT company in [city]”, “managed services [city]”, and “IT provider near me” are sought after by just about every MSP with a marketing strategy. Not to mention, you also have to deal with paid results taking up a good chunk of real estate at the top of the SERP. 

While getting your MSP’s own domain to rank organically on Google’s first page is the ideal end goal you should be striving for (SEO is king!), there’s another way to start making your presence known in Google’s highly competitive organic results: customer reviews.

B2B Buyers Trust User-Generated Content

If your MSP doesn’t already have a process in place for collecting customer reviews, I recommend you implement one immediately. The importance of having a robust catalog of positive reviews from real customers can’t be understated, even outside of the strategy I’m highlighting today. Elevation Marketing reports that 97% of B2B buyers trust user-generated content (like reviews) more than any other kind of content, and 92% of those buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a positive review. 

So we understand that customer reviews are a crucial part of an effective marketing strategy, but what do they have to do with SEO? That’s where review aggregators come in. 

Leveraging High Ranking Review Aggregators

You may or may not have noticed, but review aggregation sites have begun absolutely dominating the SEO game in the last year or so. In fact, a Google search for “IT company in Chicago” (where our MSP is located) shows that 8 of the 10 organic first page SERP results belong to aggregation sites like Cloudtango, Goodfirms, and UpCity. Only 2 of the top 10 organic results belong to an actual MSP! And here’s the best part: clicking on the listing for one of those aggregators typically brings you straight to a list of the “Top 10/20/50 IT Companies in Chicago”, or some variation of that. That’s your opportunity to shine. If you can get your MSP to rank high on these aggregators’ “Top X IT Companies in Y City” lists, you’re essentially just one click removed from a coveted first-page organic position on Google. 

Now, getting your MSP to the top of these lists will take time and dedication, and the process will vary widely depending on which aggregators have a strong presence in your market. Some aggregators allow you to upload the reviews yourself (buyers can smell a fake review a mile away, so don’t even think about it!), while others require the customer to leave a verified review directly. Some are strictly organic, while others allow you to pay a monthly fee to get a bump in the ranks. And if your MSP is located in a smaller market, these aggregators may not have a strong SEO presence there at all. 

Claiming Your Profiles & Adding Reviews

My recommendation would be to do some research into which aggregators (if any) are ranking organically on Google for high value keywords in your market. Then, create a profile with each one and start getting reviews added using their respective processes. Before you know it, you’ll be one of the first MSPs potential buyers see when they click on that organic Google result. 

So there you have it! SEO and customer reviews, two pivotal marketing strategies, joining forces to develop a whole new opportunity to grow your MSP. If you have any questions about this strategy or just want to talk shop, let’s connect.