Review Management Glossary
Key terms and definitions for online reviews, reputation management, and customer feedback.
C
Conversion Rate Optimization
The systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as leaving a review, making a purchase, or filling out a form. In review management, CRO focuses on optimizing the review request flow to maximize the number of customers who actually complete a review after being asked.
Read full definition →CSAT
Customer Satisfaction Score. A metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a product, service, or interaction, typically using a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. CSAT surveys are usually sent immediately after an interaction and ask a single question: How satisfied were you with your experience? The score is calculated as the percentage of respondents who selected the top satisfaction ratings.
Read full definition →Customer Experience Management
The practice of designing, managing, and optimizing every interaction a customer has with a business across all touchpoints. In the context of reviews, customer experience management involves using review feedback to identify pain points, improve service quality, and create consistently positive experiences that lead to organic positive reviews.
Read full definition →Customer Feedback Loop
A structured process for collecting customer feedback, analyzing it for patterns, implementing improvements based on the findings, and then communicating those changes back to customers. An effective feedback loop turns negative reviews into actionable insights and shows customers that their opinions drive real change in the business.
Read full definition →Customer Sentiment
The overall attitude or emotional tone expressed by customers in their reviews, feedback, and interactions with a business. Customer sentiment can be positive, negative, or neutral, and tracking it over time reveals trends in customer satisfaction and helps businesses identify emerging issues before they become widespread problems.
Read full definition →Citation
A mention of a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) on an external website, directory, or platform. Citations are a local SEO ranking factor because they help search engines verify that a business exists and is located where it claims to be. Consistent citations across platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and industry directories strengthen local search visibility.
Read full definition →F
Featured Snippet
A highlighted search result that appears at the top of Google search results, above the regular organic listings. Featured snippets pull content directly from a webpage and display it in a box, giving the source significant visibility. Businesses can optimize their review-related content, such as FAQ pages and how-to guides, to earn featured snippet placement for relevant queries.
Read full definition →First-Party Reviews
Reviews collected and displayed directly on a business's own website, rather than on third-party platforms like Google or Yelp. First-party reviews give businesses full control over the display and moderation of feedback, and they can be marked up with schema to appear in search results. They complement but do not replace the authority of third-party reviews.
Read full definition →G
Google Business Profile
A free business listing from Google that appears in Google Search and Google Maps. Formerly known as Google My Business, a Google Business Profile displays key business information including address, hours, photos, and customer reviews. It is the single most important platform for local business reviews because Google reviews directly influence local search rankings and are seen by the majority of consumers searching for local services.
Read full definition →Google Local Pack
The section of Google search results that displays a map and three local business listings for location-based queries. Also known as the Map Pack or 3-Pack, this section appears above organic results for searches like 'restaurants near me' or 'dentist in Austin.' Appearing in the Local Pack requires a strong Google Business Profile with high ratings, recent reviews, and complete business information. Reviews are one of the most influential ranking factors for Local Pack placement.
Read full definition →N
Net Promoter Score
A customer loyalty metric based on a single question: How likely are you to recommend this business to a friend or colleague? Respondents rate on a scale of 0 to 10 and are classified as Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), or Detractors (0-6). The NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters, producing a score from -100 to +100.
Read full definition →NPS
See Net Promoter Score. NPS is the abbreviation commonly used in customer experience management and review strategy discussions. It serves as a leading indicator of business growth, as Promoters are more likely to leave positive public reviews and refer new customers.
Read full definition →NAP Consistency
The practice of ensuring that a business's Name, Address, and Phone number are identical across every online listing, directory, and platform. Inconsistent NAP information — such as different phone numbers on Google and Yelp, or a slightly different business name on Facebook — confuses search engines and can hurt local search rankings. NAP audits are a fundamental part of local SEO hygiene.
Read full definition →R
Reputation Management
The ongoing practice of monitoring, influencing, and improving how a business is perceived online. This includes actively collecting reviews, responding to both positive and negative feedback, addressing complaints, managing listings across platforms, and building a consistent stream of fresh social proof. Effective reputation management combines proactive review generation with responsive engagement.
Read full definition →Review Aggregation
The process of collecting and displaying reviews from multiple platforms (Google, Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, etc.) in a single dashboard or widget. Review aggregation gives businesses a unified view of their reputation across all channels and makes it easier to monitor, respond to, and analyze feedback without logging into each platform separately.
Read full definition →Review Distribution
The spread of a business's reviews across different star ratings, typically displayed as a histogram showing how many reviews fall into each rating category (1 through 5 stars). A healthy review distribution is heavily weighted toward 4 and 5 stars with very few 1-star reviews. The distribution pattern can influence consumer trust as much as the average rating itself.
Read full definition →Review Funnel
The step-by-step path a customer takes from receiving a review request to publishing a completed review. A well-designed review funnel minimizes friction at each step: the initial ask, the satisfaction check, the platform selection, and the review submission. Tools like Opineko optimize this funnel by first gauging satisfaction and then routing happy customers directly to the review platform with the fewest clicks possible.
Read full definition →Review Gating
The practice of screening customers based on their satisfaction level before directing them to leave a public review. Customers who report a positive experience are sent to a review platform like Google, while those who report a negative experience are directed to a private feedback form. Note that Google prohibits selective review solicitation. Ethical review gating asks all customers for feedback but routes the response path based on sentiment.
Read full definition →Review Generation
The proactive process of encouraging and enabling customers to leave reviews for a business. Review generation strategies include in-person requests, email and SMS follow-ups, QR codes, and automated review request workflows. The goal is to create a consistent, ongoing stream of authentic customer reviews rather than relying on customers to leave reviews spontaneously.
Read full definition →Review Monitoring
The practice of tracking new reviews as they are posted across all relevant platforms. Review monitoring tools send real-time alerts when a new review appears, allowing businesses to respond quickly. Fast response to reviews, especially negative ones, demonstrates engagement and can mitigate the impact of critical feedback. Most reputation management platforms include monitoring as a core feature.
Read full definition →Review Response Rate
The percentage of reviews a business responds to publicly. A high review response rate signals to both consumers and search engines that the business values customer feedback. Google has confirmed that responding to reviews can improve local search visibility. Best practice is to respond to 100% of reviews, with a particular focus on responding to negative reviews within 24 hours.
Read full definition →Review Routing
The process of directing customers to specific review platforms based on predefined criteria. Routing can be based on customer sentiment (positive experiences to Google, negative to private feedback), platform priority (sending most customers to Google but some to Yelp or TripAdvisor), or business location. Opineko uses intelligent routing to maximize the impact of each customer interaction.
Read full definition →Review Schema
Structured data markup (using Schema.org vocabulary) that helps search engines understand and display review-related information in search results. When properly implemented, review schema can produce rich results showing star ratings, review counts, and other review data directly in Google search listings, increasing click-through rates. Common types include AggregateRating, Review, and LocalBusiness with review properties.
Read full definition →Review Solicitation
The act of asking customers to leave a review. Solicitation can be direct (asking in person, sending an email or text message) or indirect (displaying signage, including links on receipts). Each review platform has its own rules about solicitation. Google allows and encourages businesses to ask all customers for reviews, while Yelp discourages direct solicitation of any kind.
Read full definition →Review Threshold
The minimum star rating a customer gives in an initial feedback step that determines whether they are routed to a public review platform or a private feedback form. For example, a business might set a review threshold of 4 stars: customers who rate their experience 4 or 5 stars are directed to Google, while those who rate 1 to 3 stars are shown a private feedback form. The threshold is configurable based on business goals.
Read full definition →Review Velocity
The rate at which a business receives new reviews over a given period. Search engines, particularly Google, consider review velocity as a ranking signal. A steady, consistent flow of new reviews is more valuable than a large batch followed by long gaps. Businesses that maintain healthy review velocity signal to search engines that they are active, relevant, and continuously serving customers.
Read full definition →Review Widget
An embeddable component that displays customer reviews on a business's website. Review widgets can pull reviews from third-party platforms like Google or display first-party reviews collected directly. They serve as social proof on landing pages, product pages, and homepages, helping convert website visitors by showing authentic customer feedback without requiring visitors to leave the site.
Read full definition →Reputation Score
A composite metric that combines review ratings, review volume, review recency, response rate, and sentiment across all platforms into a single number representing a business's overall online reputation health. Reputation scores are proprietary to each review management platform and help businesses benchmark their performance over time and against competitors in their industry and location.
Read full definition →Review Embargo
A period during which a business deliberately pauses review solicitation, typically during a crisis, major service disruption, or business transition. Continuing to actively request reviews during a known service failure can accelerate negative review accumulation. A strategic review embargo allows the business to resolve the issue before resuming collection, preventing a spike of negative reviews that would permanently damage the rating.
Read full definition →Review Fatigue
The phenomenon where customers become less responsive to review requests due to receiving too many solicitations from too many businesses. Review fatigue reduces conversion rates for review requests and can create a negative impression of the business. Mitigating review fatigue requires timing requests strategically, keeping the process frictionless, and only asking once per transaction rather than sending multiple follow-ups.
Read full definition →Review Gating Compliance
Adherence to platform-specific rules about how businesses may solicit and filter reviews. Google prohibits selectively soliciting reviews only from customers expected to leave positive feedback, but allows collecting feedback from all customers and routing them based on sentiment. Yelp discourages all forms of direct review solicitation. Each platform has unique policies, and compliance is essential to avoid penalties such as review removal or listing suspension.
Read full definition →Review Recency
How recently a business has received new reviews. Search engines and consumers both weight recent reviews more heavily than older ones. A business with 200 reviews that are all over a year old may be outranked by a competitor with 50 reviews from the last three months. Maintaining a steady flow of fresh reviews is critical for both search rankings and consumer trust.
Read full definition →Rich Snippet
An enhanced search result that displays additional information beyond the standard title, URL, and description. For businesses, the most common rich snippet shows aggregate star ratings and review counts directly in Google search results. Rich snippets are generated from structured data markup on the webpage and can significantly increase click-through rates by making a listing visually stand out from competitors.
Read full definition →S
Sentiment Analysis
The use of natural language processing and text analysis to determine the emotional tone and opinion expressed in customer reviews and feedback. Sentiment analysis classifies text as positive, negative, or neutral and can identify specific topics or aspects of a business that customers feel strongly about. This helps businesses understand what they are doing well and where they need to improve beyond just looking at star ratings.
Read full definition →Social Proof
The psychological phenomenon where people look to the actions and opinions of others to determine the correct course of action. In business, social proof takes the form of customer reviews, testimonials, ratings, case studies, and user-generated content. Strong social proof, such as a high star rating with many reviews, significantly increases consumer trust and conversion rates.
Read full definition →Star Rating
A numerical score, typically on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, that represents a customer's overall assessment of their experience with a business. The aggregate star rating (the average across all reviews) is the most visible and influential element of a business's online reputation. Even small differences in star rating (e.g., 4.2 vs. 4.5) can significantly impact click-through rates and consumer choice.
Read full definition →T
Testimonial
A written or recorded statement from a customer endorsing a business, product, or service. Unlike platform reviews, testimonials are typically collected directly by the business and displayed on its own website or marketing materials. Testimonials are a form of first-party social proof and can be particularly powerful when they include the customer's name, photo, or business affiliation.
Read full definition →Third-Party Reviews
Reviews posted on independent platforms such as Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, or Trustpilot, rather than on the business's own website. Third-party reviews carry more weight with consumers because they are perceived as more trustworthy and harder for businesses to manipulate. They also directly influence search engine rankings and are visible to consumers searching for businesses on those platforms.
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