When was the last time a review swayed your buying decision?
Chances are, it wasn’t just the glowing praise that sealed the deal. It was the detail. The honesty. The sense that someone had walked the path before you and told the truth about what they found.
That’s the power of well-written, thoughtful review content. It helps buyers make smart, confident decisions, and positions you as the brand that actually gives them the full picture.
In this episode of Endless Customers, I sat down with IMPACT Coach Allison Riggs to unpack one of the most undervalued topics in The Big 5™: reviews. And wow, did she have some insights.
We dug into everything from how reviews shape buying decisions to how they’re feeding AI engines that now influence search rankings. We even touched on why bad reviews might be your best asset.
If you’re not taking reviews seriously as part of your content strategy, you’re missing out on one of the most straightforward ways to become the most trusted voice in your market.
By the end, you’ll understand:
Why reviews are more than just testimonials.
How to create review content that drives qualified buyers.
The role of transparency (even about the bad stuff).
How reviews feed AI and shape search results.
This article breaks it all down.
Why most companies overlook reviews (and why that’s a costly mistake)
“Reviews are often treated like an afterthought,” Allison said. “They get overshadowed by the flashier Big 5™ topics like Cost and Price.”
We work with hundreds of clients, and reviews consistently rank at the bottom in terms of the content they’re publishing. That’s a mistake. Because reviews, whether they’re about your own products or industry-wide solutions, are a buyer’s shortcut to clarity.
Part of the reason is that reviews just aren’t seen as “strategic.” They’re often considered too simple, too reactive, or even too risky. But that thinking misses the mark entirely. Reviews are dynamic. They reflect real-life scenarios, expectations, disappointments, and wins. They’re mini case studies written in the buyer’s voice.
When you ignore reviews, you ignore your greatest credibility engine. Today’s buyers crave authenticity. They’re not looking for a brand to tell them what’s great. They want real stories from real people. That’s where trust is built. And it’s also where your brand earns its keep.
So if you’re letting reviews sit in the background, it’s time to bring them front and center.
The boldest move you can make with review content
Reviews aren’t just about you. The power comes from evaluating products, services, and even competitors in your space.
Most companies stop at customer testimonials. They might share a few nice quotes and leave it at that. But buyers today want more than surface-level praise. They want the gritty comparisons, the side-by-side breakdowns, and the insights that only someone on the inside can provide.
Allison broke it down beautifully: “We trust reviews because we assume they come from real experience, with no hidden agenda. That’s the kind of content that makes someone lean in and say, ‘Okay, I believe you.’”
This means being willing to evaluate everything in your space, not just your own offerings. That includes writing honest reviews about the alternatives your buyers are also considering. It could be a competing software platform, a similar product from another manufacturer, or a different service provider in your industry.
Yes, this requires a bit of courage. But the upside is huge. When you position yourself as the brand willing to help your audience compare all their options objectively, they begin to trust your intentions. That trust pays off.
So go beyond the basics. Write in-depth comparisons of different brands, models, or approaches. Call out the good fits and the bad fits. Share what the user experience is actually like. Help buyers decide what’s right for them, even if that means not choosing you. That’s where the magic happens.
And yes, your competitors might squirm. But your buyers? They’ll stick around.
Using the Law of the Coin to embrace transparency through reviews
We call it the Law of the Coin for a reason: Every product or service has two sides. One side is the good fit. The other? The bad fit. And if you’re only ever talking about the upside, you’re not giving your buyers the full picture—or the respect they deserve.
Every purchase decision has a flip side. There are reasons someone should absolutely buy your product. But there are just as many reasons why someone else probably shouldn’t. And the truth is, most buyers already know this. They’re going to dig until they find both sides of the coin. The only question is whether they find it from you or someone else.
As a business, you have a choice: You can allow buyers to discover your “elephant,” your product’s biggest drawback, on their own. Or, you can lead with radical transparency and say, “Here’s our elephant. It’s important you know this before making a decision.”
Reviews are the perfect vehicle for this kind of honesty. They let your buyers see both sides of the coin clearly. A mom of five reading a review about an SUV that fits all her kids and their soccer gear? She’s all ears. A single guy who commutes alone? He’ll probably keep looking. And that’s exactly the point.
The buyers of today are savvy. They’ll do whatever it takes to find both sides of the story before making a decision. Smart companies, those that understand what it really means to be trusted, will help them get there faster by showing the pros and the cons openly.
“Would you rather disqualify the wrong buyers early,” Allison asked, “or have them buy and regret it later?”
That mindset doesn’t just win business. It wins loyalty. Because when your buyers sense you care more about their decision than closing a sale, they never forget it.
One of the toughest parts of this approach is talking about the bad stuff. Nobody likes doing it. But if you’re not upfront about the drawbacks, someone else will be. And they’ll do it on their terms, not yours. Allison reminded us that consumers are already searching for this info.
“The pros and cons are out there,” she said. “Wouldn’t you rather be the one explaining them?”
Yes. Yes, you would.
Take Yale Appliance, they started writing brutally honest reviews of the products they sell, down to reliability, known issues, and even how long they typically last. Their suppliers weren’t thrilled at first, but over time, the feedback made the products better. And their customers trusted them more.
That’s the kind of long game that wins.
The three-part review content strategy that builds buyer trust
We’re seeing clients hit a new level of success by combining:
Written articles that review products and services
Video walkthroughs that show what to expect
Landing pages for each product or brand
This trifecta gives buyers a full experience. It brings together different learning styles and levels of depth. Someone doing early-stage research might just want to skim a video. Someone closer to buying might want to read every detail on a landing page. And others might use both.
One HVAC client, Allison, mentioned creates all three for every brand they carry. And here’s the key: They don’t cherry-pick. They give each vendor the same treatment. That means every brand gets:
A detailed written article that covers performance, features, pros, and cons
A video walkthrough from a technician or product expert
A dedicated product landing page that ties it all together
This makes the experience feel objective, helpful, and consistent across the board. No gaps. No bias.
It also means buyers don’t have to dig through random forums or Reddit threads to get real insights. The company is doing the work for them, which builds confidence and shortens the decision-making process.
And when it all lives on your website? You’re not just educating buyers, you’re earning their trust in real time.
Why embracing bad reviews builds buyer trust
No one believes a company that only has perfect reviews. In fact, seeing only glowing feedback can raise red flags. It feels too polished. Too manufactured. And in today’s age of transparency, that’s not a good look.
If you’re removing negative reviews, you’re doing more harm than good. You’re not just hiding information, you’re breaking trust. Buyers want the full story. The good, the bad, and everything in between.
Allison shared a client story where the business used to delete bad Google reviews. The intention was to protect their image, but it backfired. Customers are savvy. They expect to see some bumps. A few negative reviews? Totally normal. What matters most is how you respond.
“We can turn a bad review into a great customer experience,” Allison said. “Just be open, own it, and show how you’re fixing it.”
The best move? Reply publicly. Acknowledge the issue, explain what went wrong, and share what’s being done to make it right. Even better, invite the reviewer to try your product or service again. That shows growth, maturity, and genuine care.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being real. And real earns trust.
Reviews matter more in the age of AI
Here’s something that might surprise you: AI is already pulling in reviews and summarizing them.
You’ve probably seen this on Amazon. A new AI-generated summary gives you the gist of all customer feedback without reading every line. That’s just the beginning. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Search Generative Experience are doing the same, scanning user reviews across platforms to build an informed, AI-generated overview.
Your reviews are training the bots. And if those reviews aren’t helpful, transparent, and rich with context, you’re not showing up the way you want to in AI-powered search experiences.
If your competitors are creating better review content across more platforms, that’s what AI will surface. Not you. And in an increasingly AI-first world, that’s no small thing.
“We’re not just writing for people anymore,” Allison said. “We’re writing for people and the robots.”
That means you’ve got to do both: Create content that educates buyers and content that feeds the algorithms. Reviews do both brilliantly. But only if you’re honest, comprehensive, and consistent.
S0, where should you start?
You don’t need to overhaul your entire content strategy overnight. But you do need to begin. Start with the building blocks. Create a structure that prioritizes transparency, consistency, and usefulness.
Here’s a simple checklist to get rolling:
Publish honest reviews of your own products or services. Highlight both strengths and weaknesses. Let people see what it’s really like to work with you.
Compare competitors fairly and transparently. Don’t pretend your buyers aren’t looking at other options. Help them make the right choice by giving them an honest comparison.
Create videos to walk through products or experiences. Use your team members to humanize your insights. Show, don’t just tell.
Centralize reviews on your website for easy access. Create a hub where buyers can explore product reviews, competitor comparisons, and customer feedback in one place.
Encourage real reviews (the good, the bad, the meh). Don’t cherry-pick. Ask everyone to share their experience. The honest ones are gold.
Use feedback to guide new content and improve your offerings. What are customers confused about? What do they wish they knew sooner? Answer those questions in future content.
Pick one product or service to start with. Just one. Build out a written review. Make a simple video. Create a dedicated landing page. Then, rinse and repeat.
Small steps. Big results.
If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: “Don’t shy away from any and all reviews that you can get and give,” Allison said. “Whether it’s about your products, your services, or your industry.”
So pull back the curtain. Let buyers see the full picture.
They’ll thank you with their trust and their business.
Connect with Allison
Allison Riggs is a Head Coach at IMPACT. She trains sales, marketing, and leadership teams to embrace a culture of radical transparency within their organizations, empowering them to become the most trusted voice in their space.
Email her at ariggs@impactplus.com
Connect with Allison on LinkedIn
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