If you want to improve your visibility online, start by understanding one thing: both Google and AI are looking for signs that you are real. They want to know who you are, what you do, and if people trust you. The easiest way to prove that is through genuine client reviews.

Reviews have always been part of visibility, but their value has grown even more as search has evolved. Every word your clients write is a trust signal that both people and technology can recognise.

The ironic thing with AI is that it’s looking for you to be authentic. It wants your real voice, your experience, and your knowledge  and then it wants to see that validated by others. Those external voices are what confirm to search systems that you are who you say you are.

People trust people. Reviews are the modern version of word-of-mouth. We’re wired to look for reassurance before spending money, especially on personal services like hair and beauty. Psychologists call it social proof, seeing someone else have a positive experience gives our brain permission to believe it will work for us too.

That’s why reviews influence so much behaviour. According to BrightLocal (2025), 83% of consumers use Google to find local business reviews, and 88% say reviews influence their final decision. Harvard Business School’s Luca study found that a one-star improvement in rating can increase revenue by five to nine percent for independent businesses. Spiegel Research Center (2025) also found that displaying reviews can lift conversion rates, with the impact even stronger for higher-priced services.

When clients see consistent, authentic reviews, they feel safer booking. That safety leads to confidence, and confidence leads to sales.

Why reviews work for visibility

Search engines and AI tools can’t experience your service directly, so they rely on signals. Reviews act as measurable proof that people trust your business. Google confirms that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business’s local ranking, and it reads not just the score but the words themselves.

Every time a client mentions a treatment, result, or location in a review, that language feeds your visibility. Those reviews become small data points that tell Google what you do and where you do it. AI tools use that same data when forming their answers about “best facial near me” or “trusted salon in Durham.”

In short, reviews show both clients and technology that you’re real, reliable, and active.

Most people are happy to leave a review, they just need to be asked. The best time to do that is right after treatment, while the experience is still fresh. I always give clients the chance to offer feedback first so that it feels natural and authentic, then I invite them to share a review publicly.

Make it easy:

• Ask clearly and personally, not through automated messages.

• Hand out small review cards as they leave, with simple instructions for posting on Google.

• Thank them every time, acknowledgment encourages more reviews later.

The main place to send service-based clients is Google, because it’s still the primary authority for local searches. For product-based businesses, Trustpilot performs best. For spas and travel services, TripAdvisor remains influential.

How to show reviews

How you display reviews is just as important as how you collect them. I prefer to feed my Google reviews directly through my website, so they show as live and genuine. Screenshots also work well because they look like what the client actually wrote. Canva templates can be helpful for consistency, but overly designed layouts often look staged.

Use reviews as proof, not decoration. Add them to treatment pages, share them on social posts, and include them in client newsletters. Responding to reviews, good or bad,  is another strong trust signal that both clients and search engines value.

Why this matters more than ever

In an online world full of claims, reviews are what cut through the noise. Anyone can post an image or make a statement, but genuine feedback from real people gives your words weight.

The Hair and Beauty Directory already uses this principle. Reviews feed directly through member profiles, verified and trusted, which helps clients see genuine experiences. It’s also one of Google’s favoured platforms for authority, which means your reviews help your SEO reach and even support your visibility within AI-driven results.

Ask more often, make it easier, and use what you already have. Consistent, authentic reviews build trust, strengthen your visibility, and give future clients the reassurance they need to book.

You don’t need hundreds overnight, you just need to start asking every week. In a world built on algorithms, the most powerful thing you can still do is let real people speak for you.