Authors want good reviews for their books. When they think of online reviews, they always think about Amazon. After all Amazon is the online retail giant and strong reviews on it drive up rankings and can attract readers. Yet when thinking about online reviews to drive up rankings on Google, readers need to think beyond just Amazon.
Here are a few online sites that authors should concentrate on in getting reviews to help drive up rankings and attract sales:
- Barnesandnoble.com. Yes, the book retail giant has taken some hits over the past several years and lost market share to Amazon. Yet when people think about books and bookstores, Barnes & Noble is still there. Reviews on the Barnes & Noble website are as important as reviews on Amazon.
- Goodreads.com. Every author knows about Goodreads and has their book listed on it. The site, launched in 2007 is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. It has 55 million active members and 1.5 billion (yes billion) books listed. Like yelp and other sites, many readers view recommendations and reviews on Goodreads as being more credible than on other sites as they believe that they are genuine and from actual readers. Don’t forget there are many services that promise to drive up Amazon book reviews for fee and that has led some to question reviews on Amazon. That isn’t the case with Goodreads.
- Booklikes.com. Launched in 2013, Booklikes.com is similar to Goodreads. It too has over a billion books listed. Readers can make recommendations and see which books are currently ranking high with reviews online.
Authors don’t become focused just on Amazon when asking for online reviews. While Amazon is the giant, reviews on other sites are just as critical (and to some readers more credible) for a strong online presence and in reaching readers.
