Today, What people say about you online matters as much as what you post yourself..
This is what we call e-reputation.
For AI (like Google, Bing, Perplexity or ChatGPT connected to the web), customer reviews, ratings, mentions on other sites, are crucial signals of trust.
They directly influence:
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your ranking in local searches,
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your presence in AI responses,
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your credibility in the eyes of users.
The good news?
You can actively take action to booster your e-reputation — and therefore your visibility.
🧭 This article is a chapter of the guide “Optimizing your business in the age of AI”.
📘See all chapters
1. Why has e-reputation become a key factor for AI?
Artificial intelligences are constantly seeking to recommend safe, popular and quality options.
When an AI answers a question like:
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“What are the best brunches in Paris?”
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“Well-rated Italian restaurant in my neighborhood?”
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“Reliable hair salon near me?”
She takes into account the average rating, the volume of reviews, the freshness of reviews, and sometimes even their semantic content.
Brief, the more positive and recent your reviews are, the higher you climb in the suggestions.
2. Where does your e-reputation matter most?
| Platform | Weight for SEO and AI | How to act |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Very high | Continuously collect Google reviews. Respond to all reviews. |
| Tripadvisor, Yelp, TheFork (food sector) | Medium to high | Claim the file, take care in responding to criticism. |
| AVERAGE | Encourage customers to leave recommendations. | |
| Yellow Pages, Trustpilot, Verified Reviews (e-commerce sector) | AVERAGE | Register the business, collect testimonials. |
👉 Advice : Google remains a priority, but a good score on Tripadvisor or Yelp can strongly influence AI solutions for tourism and catering.
3. How to get more positive reviews effectively
🔵 1. Naturally ask your satisfied customers
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Face to face after a successful service.
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By automatic thank you email.
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Via QR code on invoice, menu, table.
🔵 2. Facilitate action
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Provide the direct link to the review space.
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Use a simple message:
“Your opinion means a lot to us and to our future customers. 2 minutes is all it takes!”
🔵 3. Thank and respond to every review
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Always respond to reviews, even positive.
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Ex : “Thank you very much for your positive feedback, we hope to see you again soon!”
🔵 4. Manage negative reviews intelligently
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Never ignore a bad review.
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Remain courteous, thank them for the feedback, and offer to contact you privately if necessary.
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Show that you are professional even when you make a mistake.
4. Mistakes to absolutely avoid
❌ Buy fake reviews → Google and AI are increasingly detecting anomalies.
❌ Not responding to reviews → Shows a lack of involvement.
❌ Delete all negative reviews → Creates mistrust (better to respond properly).
❌ Forget to keep collecting → The freshness of reviews matters a lot!
🚀 To remember
Your e-reputation is your best digital salesperson.
Every review, every response, every interaction builds your credibility with search engines… and AI.
Put in place a real strategy for collecting and managing opinions to build your long-term digital success.
👇 Continue with the next chapter:
Chapter 5: Managing and boosting your e-reputation (coming soon)
📘 Or find the complete summary of the guide “SEO for AI”.
