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Client wants to change URL structure from underscores to hyphens - reason for doing this is a cosmetic move. What is the risk of changing underscores to hyphens for URLs that  that have been around since 2012 and have a lot of keywords ranking in the top 5 in the SERPS?

When the created the site - they structured the URL using dashes and underscores. Here is an example of what an URL looks like:

/programs-degrees**/clinical-psychology/clinical_phd_kansas****-city****/**

*This page ranks for many high volume keywords in the top 5 of the SERPS.

I have started to compile a list on why the URL should not be changed...

• Building trust and authority from scratch
• 301 redirects do not pass 100% of the link juice
• 301 redirecting from underscored to hyphenated versions of the same content is an unnecessary risk to some of that link equity.
• Good chance rankings/traffic will drop because of the URL change

Happy to help!

Bearpaw88 - Please see our responses below. We hope this helps!

Q: is there any added SEO benefit to trust pilot?

A: Yes, it can, IF you are targeting keywords with "review" in them. For example, 'petflow reviews', 'petflow.com reviews'. From an SEO standpoint, this will give your product/client another listing in the search results that can increase traffic due to the increased visibility.

Q: would our star rating show up on our organic listings as we don't run any adwords campaigns (we are happy with our ranking in the organic listings).

A: It will more than likely be the Trustpilot listing that shows up, not your website.

Q: what happens when google and trust pilot fall out and bin the partnership?

A: There is no indication at this point that the relationship is going to end, but, with Google, you never know. Even if the relationship did end, we don't forsee Google abandoning the way results are returned based upon their review/quality. That is data provided by users, for the users, which Google will always be about in our opinion.

Here is some additional information that Trustpilot shared with us when we were vetting them out:

·Google Seller Ratings/Paid Search –  Google leverages reviews collected by Trustpilot as a data source for its seller rating extension(Gold Stars).

o   Based on Google data – Establishing Seller Ratings increases CTR by an average of 17%, increasing your quality score, and lowering CPC by roughly 14% - 38% CTR Increase Case Study

·Increased Conversion Rate – Customer reviews validated by a 3^rd party partner will build trust on your site and driving improved conversions and increased sales.

o   Bookbyte.com – Measured a 14% boost in onsite conversions - Bookbyte case study

·Social Media—Trustpilot integrates seamlessly with Facebook and you can now even Tweet reviews - Kabbage's Facebook Page

We have not used them yet, but probably will give them a try at some point in the future.

I think those look good and you should give them a shot. You can always do some fine-tuning to them over then next month or two.

Happy to help and good luck! I look forward to see how this helps your conversion rate.

Form #1: I would adapt the copy so that it sounds like you are providing more value to the user.

Ex: We can help save you time! Call me direct to start your search and discuss available listings.

Form #2: Similar to the first and you are half-way there. Sell the part about your access to off-market listing first. Users always want to think they are getting a really good deal, or getting access to premium content that their friends or competition aren't. You also want to try and add some immediacy to the form, make the user feel like they must act now or they may miss out on a great deal.

Ex: Did you know we access to off-market listings that only we know about? Contact us to learn more about these listings before they are gone!

You may need to play with the copy some to better fit your clientele, but you should be able to get a good idea from the examples given.

Good luck!

Bearpaw88 - Please see our responses below. We hope this helps!

Q: is there any added SEO benefit to trust pilot?

A: Yes, it can, IF you are targeting keywords with "review" in them. For example, 'petflow reviews', 'petflow.com reviews'. From an SEO standpoint, this will give your product/client another listing in the search results that can increase traffic due to the increased visibility.

Q: would our star rating show up on our organic listings as we don't run any adwords campaigns (we are happy with our ranking in the organic listings).

A: It will more than likely be the Trustpilot listing that shows up, not your website.

Q: what happens when google and trust pilot fall out and bin the partnership?

A: There is no indication at this point that the relationship is going to end, but, with Google, you never know. Even if the relationship did end, we don't forsee Google abandoning the way results are returned based upon their review/quality. That is data provided by users, for the users, which Google will always be about in our opinion.

Here is some additional information that Trustpilot shared with us when we were vetting them out:

·Google Seller Ratings/Paid Search –  Google leverages reviews collected by Trustpilot as a data source for its seller rating extension(Gold Stars).

o   Based on Google data – Establishing Seller Ratings increases CTR by an average of 17%, increasing your quality score, and lowering CPC by roughly 14% - 38% CTR Increase Case Study

·Increased Conversion Rate – Customer reviews validated by a 3^rd party partner will build trust on your site and driving improved conversions and increased sales.

o   Bookbyte.com – Measured a 14% boost in onsite conversions - Bookbyte case study

·Social Media—Trustpilot integrates seamlessly with Facebook and you can now even Tweet reviews - Kabbage's Facebook Page

We have not used them yet, but probably will give them a try at some point in the future.

I think those look good and you should give them a shot. You can always do some fine-tuning to them over then next month or two.

Happy to help and good luck! I look forward to see how this helps your conversion rate.